Book One: The Alchemist
by Mystic Dragon
Summary: Eight year old Harry Potter finds himself rescued from the abusive Dursley family and sent to live with his Aunt Trisha and her boys.  But will Harry and Edward be able to find a cure for Al when an unparalleled evil is running around at Hogwarts?
1. The Rescue of Harry James Potter

Disclaimer says: I don't own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist! I just rearranged a few things.

…okay, I rearranged a _lot_ of things…

…but I still don't own them!

I know that Risembool is a town in the FMA world, but I tossed it into England for the sake of this story. Some things stayed the same; there's automail, but it's different from in FMA.

No, this is not going to be a Severitus (or however you spell it), or even a "Severus mentors Harry" story.

And so…onward!

* * *

The Alchemist

Chapter 1: The Rescue of Harry James Potter

Privet Drive was a quaint, small neighborhood. The houses were neatly arranged, and there were fences around some properties. Cars were parked in driveways most of the time, and the lawns were always trimmed properly. In fact, there wasn't a single unusual thing about it.

Except at the house labeled "#4".

Harry Potter was eight years old, and currently hiding for his life under the cupboard under the stairs. Tears rolled down his dirty cheeks, and his clothing was torn and much too large for him. Not that he cared at the moment, because he was fearing for his life, as his uncle had been quite upset that he had scored above Dudley in science.

Harry hadn't _meant_ to do such a thing…he knew better than to show that he was actually smart! That, and he learned his lesson the first time his Uncle Vernon beat him for it. However, the beatings didn't stop. If Harry did something "strange" or "unusual", like the time he accidentally somehow teleported himself to the school roof, he was beaten for it.

Even if he didn't do anything worthy of a beating, and managed to do all his chores before dinner, he was still the man's whipping boy. Nobody helped him, either, and nobody ever believed him. The one teacher that had questioned his bruises, oversized clothing, and smell wound up being fired for some mysterious reason when the Dursley's got involved with the entire thing, and Harry was left with broken bones as a result of _that_ little mishap.

So, he just stopped talking. It wasn't worth it in the long run, as nobody seemed to believe him, and typically, talking just got him into even more trouble.

He didn't like to get into trouble, because that meant pain.

His uncle would hit him, and his Aunt Petunia would scream at him or make him do even _more_ chores. He had burnt countless fingers learning how to cook, and even afterwards.

Petunia's punishments didn't involve beatings, but she had once held his arm over the stove while it was on, which resulted in a burn which he still had a slight scar from.

His cousin, Dudley, was never punished for doing things like pushing him down the stairs or beating him up. In fact, the boy was _rewarded_ for doing those things.

At first, Harry had been resentful, but that just turned to hurt, which caused him to retreat into his own world of flying motorcycles.

He thought that he would never be safe again, as long as he was with his aunt and uncle.

However, one day, he got a pleasant surprise.

* * *

It was warm out, but Harry was out on the lawn, hand-weeding said area of grass. He had finished with the flower bed, and was now instructed to do the same with the lawn, itself. Though their lawn wasn't immensely huge, it was still large for such a small boy.

When a shadow fell over him, he first thought that it was his Uncle Vernon, home early, or his Aunt Petunia to give him a crack over his knuckles with a ruler.

Harry looked up with wide, green eyes, to fearfully peer at the blob of a person in front of him. Since his glasses needed replacing _years_ ago, he could never make out any defining features.

However, these two people have very distinct features.

The taller one was male, and wore all black, from his long sleeve shirt to his pants and shoes.

Harry thought it was a strange color to wear in the summer, but he could have been mistaken on said color since his eyesight wasn't 100%.

The tall man also had black hair, from what Harry could tell, and perhaps a large nose.

The woman was much older, Harry realized, and had gray hair pulled into…was that a bun? A bun, he believed. She wore a green dress with matching shoes, so at least _she_ was dressed for the weather.

The woman took a sharp breath, then spoke to the boy. "Harry Potter?"

Harry knew Dudley was told not to talk to strangers, but he figured that nothing could be worse than the Dursley's, so he nodded hesitantly.

The man in black muttered something under his breath.

"Severus!" the elderly woman exclaimed.

Harry, whose ears were sharper than normal to compensate for his vision, nearly grinned at the muttered curses the man had made in relation to his aunt and uncle…mostly his aunt, though.

The woman sighed, then smiled at the boy. "Is your aunt and uncle home?"

Harry nodded, then shook his head.

"Which is it?" the man in black asked impatiently, with a sharp edge to his voice.

Harry, reminded of his Uncle Vernon, drew back as if expecting to be hit.

"Severus!" Again, the woman admonished the man. "Watch your tone with the boy! You know very well the reason we're here!"

The man, Severus, sighed. "Of course…"

The woman turned back to the frightened child. "Don't worry, Harry. My name is Minerva McGonagall. I'm a teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…"

Harry caught her mutter under her breath something to the extent of "not that you know what that is, since those horrid muggles probably told you nothing".

The little boy almost smiled, but was still too nervous around these two to do so.

"This is Severus Snape, who also teaches at Hogwarts." Minerva's voice softened as she told the child, "It's the school your parents went to."

Harry's green eyes widened. He wanted so badly to ask about it, but figured he would be punished badly if he was caught talking. Besides…he knew that talking got people into trouble; especially him.

"If you'll come along with us, you can gather your things."

Harry gave Minerva a blank look.

Severus scowled, not that Harry could see it clearly. "We're removing your from this loathsome place. Your…current relations…have been found unfit to care for you after some observation."

Minerva looked fairly proud of herself, but Harry couldn't remember anyone strange hanging out around the house. He only saw a frequent tabby cat that visited, but figured it was one of Mrs. Figg's cats.

"It just so happens that you have another relative, which is suitable for living arrangements…" Severus started.

Harry paled. They couldn't mean Aunt Marge, could they? She wasn't even related by blood! She and Ripper would torture him worse than Uncle Vernon!

Minerva gestured for him to follow. "The sister of your aunt's parents, apparently, had a daughter. She was our first choice to place you with, but she had been living in Germany at the time. However, now she's back in England, so you can be moved."

It was obvious by her tone that she thought Harry should have been placed with this other aunt, regardless of what country they lived in.

Harry wasn't an idiot, and knew that these people had a say in why he was with the Dursley's. Besides…they were the only blood family he had. However, if there was someone else out there that was his blood family, he would jump at the opportunity to live with them.

Heck, he would have gone with this woman and the scary looking man if they had offered!

The boy was a little more hesitant when they reached the door. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He wanted to tell them the door was locked, but he was always beaten every time he talked, and constantly told that talking got him into trouble, so he had just stopped. Part out of fear of beatings, and part out of the fact that it did nothing but, true to his uncle's words, get him into trouble.

However, the language barrier didn't seem to deter Minerva and Severus. Rather, Severus just looked down directly into the boy's eyes.

Harry pulled away almost immediately, afraid of making eye contact with anyone.

However, it was long enough for Severus, who cursed under his breath before informing Minerva that "the sodding muggles turned him mute".

Harry wondered how the man knew that, and was even more shocked when Severus pulled out a stick and somehow unlocked the door with a wave of said stick.

"What is the meaning of…?" Petunia Dursley pulled up short when she saw the two strange people in her house. But what really caused her to stop were the sticks in their hands, which she paled at.

"Hello, _Tuney_." Severus sneered at her. "Remember me?"

Harry, who took to hiding behind the less scary Minerva, peered out to see what in the world they were talking about. That man knew his aunt?

Petunia turned whiter than Harry had ever seen her turn. "Y-you…!"

"Yes, _me_. Unsurprisingly, you're still the same as you were all those years ago."

Minerva decided to intervene before old grudges got the best of Severus and he wound up hexing a muggle. "Severus, remember why we're here."

Petunia looked between the two in fear of her life.

"Now, if you will be so kind as to step out of the way so that we may gather Mister Potter's belongings…" Minerva, though she made a request, sounded more as if she was demanding it of the woman.

Petunia pursed her lips as if she had swallowed a lemon. "Then…you'll be removing that…_freak_…from our house? For good?"

Severus's lip curled dangerously, but Minerva interrupted.

"Indeed. However, the only 'freaks' I've ever laid eyes on was your family. I have no problems with muggles, but _you_, and your husband, are the worst sort." Minerva glared down her glasses at Harry's aunt.

Harry looked up at Minerva in awe. These people were standing up to his aunt, and she was even afraid of them!

"Just…just get his things and get out of my house!" Petunia screeched.

Harry flinched, but felt Minerva's hand slide into his, which calmed him down. These people…no…these wizards…were amazing superheroes as far as he was concerned.

"With pleasure." Minerva turned to look at Harry kindly. "Harry, dear, let us gather your things."

Harry nodded, and shyly led the way to his cupboard. He could still hear Severus threatening Petunia, and saying how this wasn't the end of it, as they would be facing child abuse charges from both the muggle _and_ wizarding worlds.

"…particularly, when it involves someone so…well known…" Severus sounded extremely smug.

Minerva, on the other hand, tried to control her temper when she saw the cupboard. There was a tiny cot with a thin blanket, a ratty old school bag thrown in one corner, and various broken objects like toy soldiers missing legs or arms, as well as crayons that were stubs or just as broken. Minerva didn't need Occlumency to know that Harry wasn't responsible for the sorry state of the toys, as they were on shelves as if revered.

Harry went into the room and pulled a small, blue blanket off one of the shelves and stuffed it very carefully into the backpack, then looked around the "room" hesitantly, as if trying to decide if he should bring the broken toys.

Minerva shook her head, and said gently, "It's up to you if you want to bring those toys, Harry. But, I dare say, you'll receive plenty of toys, in working order, at your new home. I looked it over, myself…there'll even be a boy your age, and one a year younger."

Harry was hesitant about there being a kid his age. What if this person turned out to be another Dudley? However, he reckoned that superheroes didn't rescue sad kids just to stick them in an even worse situation.

So, the child zipped up his bag and ignored what was on the shelves. They were just some of Dudley's old toys that he had managed to filch while cleaning, so he really didn't feel much attachment to them. The blanket, however, was different, as he knew it wasn't from the Dursley's. It had his initials sewn into the corner in gold lettering, and from what he heard, he had been found with it.

That meant it was the only memento he had of his parents; he wasn't letting it go.

"Is that everything? You sure?" Minerva asked gently.

Harry nodded.

"Take my hand, Harry." Minerva was thankful towards Arabella Figg. If it weren't for her reports on Harry's odd condition, and Minerva's own snooping in her animagus form, then this could have gone on until the boy reached Hogwarts age. At which point, he might very well have been too mentally gone.

Severus seemed to be enjoying himself, holding his stick, which Minerva told Harry was a wand, towards Petunia.

"Severus. We're leaving," Minerva stated with a hint of finality.

Severus sneered at the pale woman in front of him. "Don't worry, _Tuney_…you'll be hearing from a variety of law enforcers soon enough. I, for one, will take great pleasure in watching, and though I am a busy man, I will gladly make time in my schedule to see you get what you deserve. You can try to flee, but I can assure you that the Aurors will find you, even if your own law does not."

Harry thought Petunia was going to pass out on the ground right then and there, but he really didn't care. He just wanted to get away, and fearfully squeezed Minerva's hand.

Minerva smiled down at him, and led him out of the house with a final call to her colleague. "Put your wand away, Severus. Let them get what's coming to them. If you curse them, they have a fighting chance of having a reduced punishment."

Severus looked torn, as he considered that whatever he could do to them would be far worse than their "punishment". However, he knew the rules, and knew what would happen to him if he even meddled just a little with their minds. As tempting as it was to give them weeks of nightmares where they were put in Harry's shoes, his Slytherin side that planned things out knew that it would be reckless to do so.

Besides…perhaps he could subtly suggest such a punishment to the Aurors…

Thus, with a final, triumphant sneer, Severus followed after Minerva.

Harry was surprised to see them headed towards Arabella Figg's house, and glanced up at Minerva in question.

The woman seemed to understand, and smiled. "Arabella, though you probably know her as Misses Figg, is what we call a 'squib'. She was born from wizarding parents, but has an extremely low magical ability. In other words, she cannot cast spells like we can, but can see the wizarding world and be a part of a few things in it."

Arabella waved to them when they arrived, tears in her eyes. "Albus agreed? He really, truly agreed? When you told me, I thought it was a joke…"

Minerva put her free hand on the woman's shoulder. "It is, indeed, not a joke. Severus will be returning to Hogwarts to inform Albus of the progress, while I shall take Mister Potter to relatives that will care much greater for him."

Arabella wiped her eyes, then smiled down at the shy boy. "It's wonderful, Harry! You're finally free of the Dursley's…"

Harry, still a bit confused, nodded.

Severus tapped his foot impatiently near the fireplace. "We do not have all day, Arabella."

Minerva filled the woman in. "Since you will no longer need to watch over Harry here, Albus is going to meet with you. Perhaps there is another family that can be helped."

Arabella wiped tears from her eyes again. "I'll miss Harry, but I'd enjoy that."

Minerva turned to Harry, who watched in fascination as both Severus and Arabella took turns grabbing a handful of what looked to be soot, throwing it into the fire, then stepping into the green flames and declaring their destination.

With a whoosh of green fire, they were gone.

Harry looked up at Minerva with fearful, wide eyes.

Minerva chuckled. "No worries, Harry. We'll be taking another method of travel. This might feel a wee bit uncomfortable, but it'll be over soon enough. Keep hold of my hand, now. One, two, three…"

Harry felt like he was being sucked into a tube that was a bit too small for him, and channeled along it. It was very uncomfortable, and he was grateful when his feet touched grass.

The two stood in a field, near a shed of gardening supplies, hidden between the shed and the trees on the other side.

Minerva gently led him out after making sure he was alright after the Side-Along Apparition, then up the dirt path. They passed people in the fields that waved to them, and occasionally, went past fences that contained goats, sheep, and horses.

Harry even though he had seen pigs and the other animals in books before, couldn't help but marvel at them. He had never been to a zoo, and so this was the closest he had ever been to animals that he didn't see at school, which amounted to squirrels, chipmunks, and deer.

After passing a few houses, as well as one at the bottom of the hill labeled as "Rockbell Automail", they came to a two-story house that was painted a cheerful yellow, with flowers in the garden at the front, and a wooden swing hanging from a tree that was also in the front yard.

Minerva smiled reassuringly at the boy; she knew the woman who lived at the house, as she had the lady in her classes. Not her house, but Trisha Elric was certainly a very pleasant Hufflepuff, and always had a kind word for everybody.

Harry looked up in awe, and tried to scrub at his glasses in a futile attempt at making them work better to get a better view of the cozy looking house.

Minerva noticed, and took the glasses from him. "Let me see those, Harry." She made a sound of disapproval after some wand waving over both the glasses and Harry, himself, then tapped the glasses and said something in another language.

Instantly, the glasses were repaired from the cracks, bends, and tape that held them together.

When Harry put them on, he was excited to note that he could actually _see_. He looked up at Minerva with a big smile on his face, and bobbed his head in gratitude.

"You'll need a new prescription, but that will suffice…oh, you don't have to thank me, Harry. Now…let's have you meet your new family."

With that, the old witch knocked twice on the door sharply, and Harry waited with baited breath as he hoped that his new family would be kind. What sort of people were they?

There was noise behind the door, and Harry reckoned he would find out in a minute.

A small surge of energy nearly made Harry start, and when he blinked, he saw a hole in the door, the size of a peephole, at around his height. There was an eye behind it that watched them.

This was odd, as Harry had sworn there was no hole in the door.

Then, another surge of energy, and the hole vanished. The lock clicked, and the door finally swung open.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	2. Meet the Elrics

I'm going to be writing a lot of disclaimers since I do them per chapter. Better safe than sorry, I suppose…so, I don't own FMA or HP.

The "Statute" talked about in this chapter is the Statute of Secrecy…I'm sure everyone reading this knows what it is, but just in case, it's a law that basically is the reason for the wizards and witches hiding their world from the muggles.

No worries…Harry isn't going to stay mute for the entirety of the story. He'll be talking again soon enough. He isn't right now due to the traumatic experience he just came out of.

For those that grew up in the "Age of the Playstation", the "NES" was the first Nintendo platform, called the "Nintendo Entertainment System" (or, NES) for short. It had very simplistic, 2-D graphics and simple, yet classic, games. Due to the fact that Harry was born in 1980, and the start of this story is somewhere around 1988, the available video game system would be the NES.

The game that the Elrics have, that they're using, is "Duck Hunt". I was going to use a standard racing game, but we never owned a racing game when we had a NES system. We did, however, have Duck Hunt, and it actually did come with a gun-shaped controller.

* * *

Chapter 2: Meet the Elrics

The boy that stood in the doorway was around the same height as Harry was, only not as thin. He had golden blond hair that framed his face and a little cowlick that stood up in the front. His eyes were an unusual amber color, and he wore a red collared t-shirt over a white shirt with a pair of khaki pants. His feet were small, and tucked into a pair of red and white sneakers with a pair of socks that were hidden under the pants, and he had a big grin on his face.

"Mom told me and Al that our cousin was coming!" the boy opened the door for them excitedly. "This is him, right?"

Minerva smiled at the boy's enthusiasm. "Yes. This is Harry Potter. I'm Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Cool! Hi, Harry!" the boy immediately focused on the silent child. "I'm Edward Elric! My brother is inside with my mom…mom said to be polite. D'you wanna come in, professor?"

Minerva had to resist a chuckle. "I suppose so, Mister Elric, as I need to speak with your mother."

Edward stepped aside to let them in. "Mom knows you're here. I sent a message to her when I was look'n through the door."

Harry blinked owlishly, as he hadn't heard any voices during that time.

Edward closed the door behind them, then got to the front and led them down a hallway to the kitchen, where a woman with chestnut brown hair was pouring tea.

There was an obviously younger boy seated at the table in a wheelchair. He had a baby face and short, sandy-blond hair with hazel eyes, and wore a green sleeveless shirt with a pair of khaki pants, and socks covered his feet even though he couldn't feel them.

The woman looked up and smiled. "Professor! It's been a while."

Minerva smiled in return. "I'm no longer your professor, Trisha. You can just call me 'Minerva'."

Trisha chuckled and set the tea down. There were five cups, one for each person.

"Harry! Come sit with me and Al!" Edward said to the startled child.

"Edward…" Trisha warned. "Remember what we talked about. Harry needs time to adjust. And, what did I say about your manners?"

Edward pouted, which caused the younger boy to giggle, and Harry to look over with a small smile.

These people definitely were different from the Dursley's. It made Harry wonder how he was even related to the Dursley's, since these folks seemed so nice. He wished he could talk and thank them, but when he tried, nothing came out.

Edward's smile softened. "No probs, Harry. I do plenty of talking for everyone. And, hey, it might even pass."

Trisha chuckled. "That was nice, Ed, but those weren't quite the 'manners' I was referring to."

Edward flushed, then pulled out a chair and gestured to Minerva. "Uh…would you like a seat, ma'am?"

Minerva chuckled, but accepted, and Trisha sat down next to the witch.

Opposite Trisha was Edward, who had pulled Harry (gently) to sit between him and his brother, who was wheeled in at the end of the table.

"This is my brother, Alphonse," Edward introduced the boy. "He's a year younger than we are, but he's smart!"

Alphonse reached over to offer a friendly hand. "Nice to meet you, Harry! It'll be cool to have _two_ big brothers!"

Harry shook the hand hesitantly, then smiled when Alphonse beamed at him.

"Go ahead and have some of this, Harry!" Edward took the first sip of his tea to show the boy it was alright. "Mom makes super tea!"

Alphonse picked up his own cup when Harry hesitated.

After seeing both boys drink from their cups, Harry slowly picked up his own and took a sip. He couldn't quite identify the flavor, but it was the best thing he had ever tasted, and his eyes lit up to show just that.

Edward smiled back at Harry. "Hey, guess what? And this is awesome…Al and I always share a room. He gets the lower bunk, and I get the upper. But, I'm supposed to ask…d'you want your own room, or to share with us? Cause we can fit the bed in there."

Harry's jaw dropped. He could have his own _room_? He was allowed in the other rooms of the house? He could even share with the two boys?

It was all very overwhelming.

Trisha tapped the table to get Edward's attention. "Go slow, Ed. This must be a lot for Harry to take in."

Edward grimaced slightly. Oh, he knew. Trisha had sat down with him and Alphonse and told them that her cousin had apparently mistreated Harry to the point of abuse, and that the boy didn't speak because of it, so he would be coming to live with them.

"Edward…"

"I remember…" Edward was a little more subdued, and took a sip of his tea.

"Ed gets like that when he's real excited about something," Alphonse told a confused Harry. "Usually, it's books or alchemy."

"You ever heard of alchemy?" Edward's eyes lit up upon mention of the subject.

Harry shook his head 'no'. He hadn't even known magic was real until he saw Severus and Minerva waving their wands…

"Edward…Alphonse…" Trisha warned.

The two boys flushed.

Harry, though, smiled. Though the two boys obviously knew about magic, and other things he didn't, they were nice. Neither had made any sort of nasty comment, and Aunt Trisha had even given him tea! It was hard to believe that this was actually happening.

Edward didn't comment when he saw Harry pinch himself. Rather, since their tea was drained, he stood up. "How 'bout I show you around, Harry? Al, you wanna come?"

Alphonse directed the chair to move away from the table. "Yea!"

Trisha nodded in approval to Edward. Her son was perceptive, and knew that the adults needed to talk without the children in the room.

Edward beamed at the proud look, then held out his hand to Harry. "Come on. Living room is through that door. We live in a wizard area, but mom is muggleborn…I'll explain bout that later. So, we have some muggle video games, and they're amazing!"

Harry took Edward's hand with his full trust. Here, people were being nice. Here, people were actually talking to him, and giving him some tasty things to drink. They didn't push him, laugh at him, or sneer at him. In fact, they held nothing but friendly smiles.

Harry hoped and prayed that those smiles would continue, and that these people were truly nice. It turned out that he didn't have to worry at all about them.

* * *

Trisha offered a slightly apologetic smile at her old professor when the kids' voices floated up the stairs, as they heard Edward telling Harry that their house was cool because their "staircase" was a ramp.

"Children will be children," Minerva assured her.

Trisha nodded at her teacup. "Yes…and I'm still not sure which house Edward will end up in."

Minerva raised a brow. "Oh?"

Trisha giggled. "Well, he's certainly cunning…always trying to get out of doing his chores. Even now, he pointed out the staircase like it was 'cool', but he wants to find a cure for Alphonse's magical injury as much as the rest of us do. My husband left not too long ago, perhaps a year and a half, to search for one, even."

"Bit of all the houses, it seems. Well, the children aren't sorted until they're eleven. Perhaps one trait will outshine the other."

Trisha nodded.

"Now, you're sure that you'll accept Harry? Once we switch the blood wards, there won't be any going back. You also might be targeted if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named ever returns."

Trisha's expression was grave, but she looked up with a flash of determination in her brown eyes. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect my children. As of today, Harry is also my child."

"Do you plan on telling him?"

"Well, this is half a magical neighborhood, and half muggle. So, yes. Harry has a right to know about his parents and how they died, in the very least. I won't tell him just yet, though. The poor boy's been through enough trauma as it is."

Minerva gave a satisfied nod. "I had honestly hoped to find you first instead of the dreadful Dursley's seven years ago…"

Trisha sighed sadly. "I wish we had been in England, and not in Germany. Though, even if we had been there for Harry, my boys still were injured. It's a miracle he can still walk, and only thanks to the healers at St. Mungo's and the Rockbell family. I feel guilty about it, since they were all injured because of my illness…"

Minerva shook her head. "There was nothing you could do. Your boys wanted to save your life, and were willing to sacrifice themselves to do so. From what I heard, they took their father's notes and expanded on them."

Trisha nodded. "Yes. Since he was at work when I went into critical condition, the boys took it upon themselves. They drew the circle flawlessly, and everything was perfect. But since they were still quite young, their power wasn't enough without drawing from their physical bodies. Alphonse wound up paralyzed, and if Edward doesn't wear his brace, it's difficult for him to walk on his left leg. Thank goodness the healers were able to fix his arm, at least…"

"Yet, they managed to save your life."

"They have a gift for alchemy…I'm sure they'll be wanting to share it with Harry at the first possible moment. So, I told them to wait until he was more adjusted."

Minerva cringed. "He didn't have the best of lives with those muggles. I have no prejudices against muggles, but those Dursley's…"

Trisha chuckled. "I quite agree. The one time I met Lilly's sister, I was more than happy to go home and far away from her. I can't imagine _any_ child in their care."

Minerva looked almost smug. "Well, they certainly won't have a child in their care, as they'll be facing child abuse charges from both worlds."

"They do have a son though, don't they?"

Minerva made a disgruntled face. "A fat lump of a boy, and one of the worst bullies I've ever seen. When I was spying on them, I caught him being _praised_ for pushing poor Harry down the stairs!"

Trisha gasped in shock. Edward had accidentally knocked Alphonse down the stairs when the boys were toddlers, and Edward had been just as frightened and upset as Trisha was. In fact, it had been Edward that went screaming for their mother. Though Alphonse was fine, save a bump on the head, Edward was sure he had just accidentally killed his baby brother.

Minerva gave her a nod. "I know I don't have to worry about anything like that with you or your boys. Though, just to give you fair warning, we will be checking up now and then. Since this is part a wizarding area, one of the few where muggles are aware of us and the Statute seems to not have any affect between muggles and wizards, we won't bother coming in muggle clothing sometimes, while other times, we might."

"I lost contact with so many during the war…Hoenheim insisted on going into hiding, though I can't blame him." No, she couldn't, for she knew of a secret Hoenheim had that not even the Order knew of.

"A lot has happened in the years you've been in Germany."

"How has Remus been?"

Minerva sighed. "As well as he could. Poor boy took everything hard. Three of his friends gone in practically one night, and the last in Azkaban. Molly had words with him, and he's doing alright."

"He was always such a nice boy in school…I never understood why he hung around those Marauders…" Trisha mused.

Minerva chuckled. "Neither could we. Perhaps he was just afraid of losing them as friends once they'd accepted him."

Trisha had no clue about Remus' "furry little problem", since she wasn't an official Order member and hadn't found out in her Hogwarts years, being in a completely different house, so Minerva felt that she should keep it a secret for the time being.

"Speaking of Molly, how is she doing? I hear she has quite a family…"

Minerva actually chuckled. "Yes…_quite_ a family…"

* * *

Meanwhile, the three boys were up touring the top floor.

"And, this is our room! Well, you can have your own or we can move a bed into this one, no biggie." Edward opened the door to a medium sized room.

There was a bunk bed in one corner, and a dresser opposite it. Near the bunkbed was a night stand that had a lamp on it and a couple action figures. There was a closet against another wall, as well. Opposite the door was a window that overlooked the back yard.

Harry looked around with a slight frown. There didn't seem to be any sort of room for another bed, and he glanced at Edward.

Edward seemed to understand, and shrugged. "We'd make one fit. But, if you want your own room, the guest room is next to it."

Edward led them to the room next door, which was laid out almost the same as their room, except it had a single bed instead of a bunk bed, and it wasn't as messy, since there had been a few books and toys on the floor and desk of the brothers' room.

Harry was shocked. People had rescued him from the Dursley's, brought him to this place with a lot of room to run around, gave him _tea_, and was going to give him his own room?

Alphonse tugged on Edward's sleeve and motioned to the misty-eyed boy.

Edward scratched his head, then patted Harry gently on the shoulder. "Hey…Harry? You okay?"

Harry nodded and removed his glasses to wipe his eyes.

"Aw, come on…" Edward nearly panicked at seeing that. He was never good at comforting people. His idea of comforting Winry one time had consisted of laughing. Of course, in that case, everyone thought he was laughing _at_ her, so that didn't go over too well.

"How about we play some video games? We have an extra controller for when Winry comes over," Alphonse suggested.

Edward gave his brother a thankful look, then agreed. "Yea!" _Take your mind off of all this stuff._ He wanted to show Harry his father's study, but figured he should wait on that.

Harry hesitantly nodded, obviously a little shy to actually be playing a video game.

However, he did agree, so the boys headed back down the stairs. They could still hear the adults talking in low tones, so they headed right to the NES.

Edward popped in a shooting game and started it up, then handed a "gun" controller to Alphonse, then to Harry, then finally took one for himself.

Perhaps, Harry reckoned, he could actually be treated as another human being, here.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	3. Automail and Truths

I still don't own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist!

...and, ff.n managed to kill every single italicized word in this chapter. Thank you, ff.n. -_-

* * *

Chapter 3: Automail and Truths

Edward had lent Harry a headband for the boy to wear when they went shopping in case anyone recognized his scar. Though they were half in a muggle town, the other half were witches and wizards, and knew very well who Harry Potter was. Trisha was going to let Harry adjust to the situation before telling him that some evil wizard tried to kill him when he was a baby.

Harry had opted for his own room, mostly so that he didn't limit the space that the two brothers had. Edward and Alphonse told him a few things about the town, like how some people knew about magic, and some didn't. They briefly mentioned alchemy, and Harry was amazed at the demonstrations that the boys gave. Edward had told him that most people had to draw a transmutation circle in order to perform alchemy, but that the brothers were able to do it without the circle.

That led to talk about the magical accident, where the boys admitted to completing the notes for a sketchy alchemy project their father had started to cure their mother's illness; that it had worked, but it left Alphonse paralyzed and Edward crippled if he didn't wear his brace.

Harry didn't think anything less of the two boys. In fact, he was awed that the two had risked their lives to save their mother; obviously, Trisha Elric meant quite a lot to the two brothers. He was interested in this 'alchemy' business, and though he still didn't speak, it was obvious.

The Elric brothers were more than happy to tell him tales about it, as well as other happenings in the town, such as sheep sheering festivals (which Edward said were fun except for the main event, which elicited giggles out of the other two boys), and the wizard lady that lived in the muggle section that taught them martial arts named Izumi Curtis.

* * *

It was the day after Harry had come to them that Trisha knew they would have to go shopping. For the time being, Harry was borrowing some of Edward's clothing since that at least fit him, rather than the oversized rag-like clothes that he had been wearing when he arrived. So, he was currently dressed in a blue t-shirt under a black jogging jacket with a pair of jeans. He had to go with the beaten, oversized trainers since his feet were a tad larger than Edward's, but they would soon have that remedied.

Since the stores had muggle items in it, Trisha would be driving a car. There was always Diagon Alley, but it would be difficult to find true muggle clothing there that weren't brand names or pre-worn, since most wizards and witches didn't care much for muggle clothing unless they were born muggle, raised muggle, or lived in a muggle area and had to blend in.

Edward and Trisha helped Alphonse into the front seat, while Edward and Harry sat in the back.

The car was filled with the pleasant chatter of the two Elric brothers as they talked even more about their quaint little down of Risembool, the open fields, and their friend, Winry.

"She'll like you," Alphonse stated. "Winry is a nice girl."

"And she's wicked for a girl! She's been learning how to make automail! She helped Granny Pinako make this!" Edward lifted up his leg a bit to show Harry his brace.

Harry had already seen the metal contraption that seemed embedded in Edward's skin at the knee and then again at the ankle and in his foot. At first, he had nearly gagged when he saw it, but the boys quickly explained that it was fastened on by magic, and there was no pain. Edward was used to it by now, he said, and could even shower with it and sleep with it and not really even notice.

_"It has a water repelling charm on it, so I don't hafta worry about it getting wet the rest of the time. Mom dispels the charm when I take a shower, cause I need to wash it, after all. She said that, when I get my letter for Hogwarts, I'll know the spell so I can do it, myself."_

Alphonse's disability was almost never spoken of, and the boys behaved almost as if he didn't have one. Yes, there were times when it was obvious that he was in a wheelchair, but Edward had confided in Harry one night that he was "searching through dad's books to see if there's a cure".

Harry was all for helping, since these people floored him with their kindness.

The store was a small clothing shop, spaced out from the next store by some dirt roads. The town, Harry noticed, had two residential areas, a shopping area, and a farmland area. One residential area was the "wizard" area, another was the "muggle" area, though there were occasionally a wizard in with the muggles. There was the farmland closer to the muggle area, as were the stores for clothing, food, books…the list went on. There was also the school, which had a small playground since its size wasn't very large, either. Since the town was a small one, that was to be expected..

"Go ahead and pick out whatever you'd like," Trisha told Harry, then turned to her two boys. "How about you two go and help?"

The suggestion was made because, as an abused child, Harry probably wouldn't know where to begin, or what was alright to pick out.

Edward saluted playfully, and Alphonse bobbed his head in a nod.

"C'mon, Harry! You're the same size as me, 'cept shoes…they have another section in the store for shoes, so we'll go do that first."

Harry nodded shyly, and allowed Edward to gently lead him along, while Alphonse trailed after them and occasionally pointed things out.

* * *

Shopping wasn't too bad in Harry's opinion; the boys had told him that wizards also shopped there, but as long as Harry didn't state his last name or reveal his scar, nobody would ogle him because he was famous in the wizarding world. Harry was a bit confused as to why, but he was promised that he would be eventually told, so he dropped it.

The Elrics had even taken him to the wizard area of the optometrist, which was the "back area", to get a new pair of glasses. He still had to keep his scar hidden during it, which was a bit of a hassle.

Of course, Harry threw them a confused and curious look each time this was mentioned, and the boys knew they would have to tell their mother to let Harry know about his parents pretty soon.

* * *

It was after dinner, and Harry was still surprised that he was not only allowed to sit at the table and eat with the family, but he got just as much food as the others. Of course, since he had been allowed small portions at the Dursley's, he was rarely able to finish his portion.

However, just like the other night when it happened, Edward had noticed that Harry seemed to be contemplating how to politely go about trying to get them to understand that he was full, but not ungrateful.

So, the louder of the Elric brothers had pointed to the boy's plate, grinned, and said:

_"You gonna finish that?"_

By the second time it happened, Harry caught onto what the other boy his age was doing, and had thrown Edward a grateful look.

Tonight was a little different, as Trisha had Harry stay back once the meal was finished.

Edward and Alphonse hesitated, but upon seeing the slightly grim look on their mother's face, went to go review their homework since they had school the next day.

Harry looked up as Trisha sat next to him on the couch in the living room where she had asked him to come to.

"I don't exactly know how to go about telling you this, and I'm not sure I'm the right person to do so, but…" Trisha started, then gathered her courage and looked at the boy with a grim smile. "Do you know the true nature of your parents' deaths?"

Harry shook his head 'no'. He had heard hints that the Dursley's hadn't told him the truth, but he hadn't yet been told what the truth was.

Trisha laced her hands together in her lap, almost nervously. "They were murdered, Harry."

Green eyes widened behind round frames.

"Back then…it was a very dark time, particularly for anyone muggle-born or not magical at all."

Harry nodded…the Elrics had briefly told him what "muggles" were, so he understand that much.

"The wizard's name…and, know this, Harry, most people are too afraid to speak his name, even now. My husband, who is now in search of a cure for Alphonse and Edward, refused to be taken in by the scare tactics."

Harry couldn't speak, still, but his eyes said it all. _Who was he?_

"Voldemort, he called himself. He had a group of followers called Death Eaters, who destroyed and killed many. It was a horrible omen those days to see a Dark Mark above a house…a snake coming out of the mouth of a skull. That meant someone there, or everyone there, had been killed."

Harry looked appalled, and Trisha couldn't blame him.

"There is a lot of mystery surrounding why Voldemort went after you…"

Harry's expression clearly said _"Me?"_.

"…but he did. I believe my husband knows, but it was a well guarded secret. Though your parents had gone into hiding, they were found. Your father fought Voldemort, himself, but didn't make it. And your mother…my cousin, Lilly…was willing to give her life for you. That's why you were with the Dursley's. Apparently, blood relatives would keep that protection alive, just in case. I wasn't supposed to tell you that part, but you have a right to know."

Harry blinked in surprise.

Trisha smiled. "You're a bright boy, I can tell, already. I have two little geniuses under my roof…Edward, in particular. I can recognize a third quite easily."

Harry flushed to his ears from the praise that he was unaccustomed to. Yes, Trisha had praised him quite a bit since he'd come to stay with the Elrics, but he was still unused to anything but harsh treatment.

Trisha placed a hand on his shoulder, then let go. "When your mother gave her life for you, that created a barrier of sorts…it was very Old Magic, my husband told me, with the root of which being love. Nobody really understands it well, but the truth is that it's there. He believes that's the reason why, when Voldemort tried to kill you, it backfired and destroyed him."

Harry went still with shock. _Voldemort…tried to kill **me**…? Why?_

It must have been written on his face, because Trisha put an arm around him. "I don't know exactly why, Harry. You were just an infant…how could an infant be a threat to someone as gruesomely powerful as the darkest wizard of all time? I don't know the answer, Harry. However, I do know that it was the work of the Old Magic that interfered somehow. That's how you got that scar of yours…from an attempt of a killing curse."

Harry trembled.

Trisha pulled him into a hug. "I know it's a lot to take in, and it's a bit scary…I'd be afraid in your shoes, too. But, Harry, you're not alone. Remember that. Your scar, though, is legendary in the wizarding world. That's why Edward gave you a headband to wear, and we insisted that you not remove it. We didn't want to overwhelm or confuse you with people coming up to shake your hand or treat you like a celebrity."

Harry nodded in understanding, and wrapped his small arms back around the woman. The first time Trisha Elric had hugged him, he had been almost too stunned to respond. However, after seeing both Alphonse and Edward receive hugs, and how they responded to it, he learned what to do. Unlike Dudley, even Edward wasn't above receiving hugs and kisses from his mother.

It was unlike most boys he had seen, even in school; his classmates always cringed when their parents would hug them in front of others. Edward and Alphonse didn't seem to care who was watching. It made Harry feel…warm inside. It was difficult for him to truly describe it, but there was a definite warmth.

Harry pulled back after a few moments, then mouthed "thank you".

Trisha, tears in her eyes, beamed at him and hugged in briefly again. "You're welcome, Harry. If you have any questions…well, until you find your voice again, and I'm sure you will, you can write them down and show them to me. Even Edward and Alphonse would be happy to help."

Tears rolled down Harry's cheeks, but there was a smile on his face, and he certainly didn't _feel _sad.

Again, he must have been wearing his heart on his sleeve, because Trisha told him softly:

"It's okay to cry when you're happy, Harry. There's nothing wrong with tears, at all. In fact, they're a good release for frustrations and emotions. Crying doesn't make you a 'baby', or anything less of a person. Rather, I'd say, it makes you human."

Harry closed his eyes in contentment. It was the first time he had been called 'human', and he relished in it. He thought back to how he was treated since he was rescued and brought to the Elric family, and realized that everyone there treated him like a human; like he belonged.

Right then and there, Harry knew that he would never forget these past couple of days, and the warmth that it had created. He didn't know that he had taken a step towards recovery and being healed, but he probably wouldn't have cared at the moment.

Right now, he was just happy to be in the arms, and in the house, of someone, and of people, who cared about him; and, dare he even think it, love him.

That was enough for now.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	4. School and Secret Books

If I owned either Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist (let alone both of them), my money problems wouldn't exist. ^^;;

A note on this chapter: Edward says "Durmsdang" because he's mispronouncing the name of the school; I know the name is "Durmstrang". Same with him thinking about "Transfiguration" and calling it "Transfigurating". He's an eight year old kid that, while he might be an alchemy genius, he's prone to pronunciation errors and not knowing everything about the wizarding world.

The event with the pill bugs, mentioned in the chapter, is just slightly changing the circumstances of Winry throwing pill bugs down Pitt and Edward's shirts when they were younger, and is from "Under the Faraway Sky" (volume 4 of the FMA novels).

* * *

Chapter 4: School and Secret Books

Harry was nervous, and for good reason, as today would be his first day in his new school. The Elrics were eager and happy to include him, and Edward even puffed out his chest and told Harry that he would help him out.

"…and if anyone picks on you, let me know, and I'll pour pill bugs down their pants or some'n!" Edward declared as the two boys laced their shoes while Alphonse waited for them at the door.

Trisha, who had assured Harry that he would be in Edward's class, gave all three of them hugs and kisses, then just watched with a smile on her face.

At Harry's raised eyebrow, Alphonse explained.

"There were these kids bullying another, and so Ed and another kid named Pitt gathered up pill bugs and dumped them down the shirts of the boys." Alphonse giggled at the memory of it. "Of course, Winry got the wrong idea, and thought _they_ were the bullies because the real bullies were girls, so she went and did the same to them."

Harry giggled.

Edward scowled. "Trust Winry to get the wrong idea."

The two boys stood up and shouldered their bags; Harry had a new bag and new clothing for school…his own stuff, and clothing that actually fit.

Edward was dressed in his favored red collared shirt open in the middle and khaki pants. Alphonse's only clothing change was that he wore a long sleeve white button down shirt over the green sleeveless, though he left the outer shirt open.

Harry had gone with a two-tone blue hoodie, which had sleeves slightly darker than the rest of it, along with the hood and pocket. A simple pair of jeans were worn with it, and trainers that actually fit him. Of course, he also wore the blue headband to hide his scar, since they would be passing through the wizarding area to get to the muggle section.

"You'll like Winry," Alphonse told him as they headed away from the house.

"And, yea, we walk to school. It's in the muggle area, but it's sort of fun walking to and from," Edward explained. He looked around, then lowered his voice. "As far as I know, Al, me, Winry…and now you are the only wizards there. Well, witch, in Winry's case. Pitt's a muggle, and doesn't know a thing about magic or alchemy."

Alphonse giggled. "Though, there's the occasional accidental magic here and there. Mostly from Winry, since Ed and I can channel our energy into alchemy. Don't need a wand for alchemy."

The more he heard about it, the more intrigued he was with the idea of this 'alchemy'. Even if Edward and Alphonse had been injured performing it, they both still seemed to adore it, and were obviously holding back from gushing over the subject for Harry's sake.

Harry wish he could find his voice to ask them about it. Sure, things were moving quickly, but he couldn't help but want to know more about the subject that these boys enjoyed so much.

* * *

Harry met Winry further down the road; she was waiting for the boys at the bottom of the stairs of the "Rockbell Automail" shop that Harry had first seen when they arrived in Risembool.

She was taller than Edward (and Harry, by default), with short blond hair in the makings of a ponytail. She wore a pair of pink jeans and a purple sweater with a picture of a flower on it, her bag on her back. The instant her blue eyes locked with the Elric's, she stood up and waved.

"Ed! Al!" Winry jogged over to them, then smiled at Harry. "Oh! You must be Harry! Gran told me that you were coming to stay with Ed and Al because you're all cousins. Name's Winry Rockbell!" The girl held out her hand.

Harry took it shyly, then smiled.

Edward put an arm around Harry's shoulders. "This here's Harry Potter, as Pinako prolly told you already."

Winry nodded and let go of Harry's hand. "Yea. She owled mum and dad about it, and I got to tell them when they got home."

Harry blinked.

Edward, who seemed to know what Harry wondered despite the silence, grinned. "Owls are the way that witches and wizards communicate. Course, we all have phones since this town is half muggle."

Alphonse chirped into the conversation. "Winry's parents work at St. Mungo's. It's a really highly rated hospital for magical related injuries. They're both doctors."

Winry flushed proudly. "Yep!"

"But not Win…" Edward winked at Harry. "She wants to tinker with magical mechanics all day."

Winry rolled her eyes as the four began the trek towards the school. "I'll have you know, Edward Elric, that the combining of magic and muggle prosthetics is a fine science, and quite the interesting subject!"

Edward stuck his hands in his pockets. "Yea…for a geek."

Winry flushed, but this time, it wasn't a proud one. "What was that, you alchemy nerd?"

Edward stuck his tongue out at the girl, which earned him a swat that he dodged with a snicker.

Alphonse looked at a mystified Harry. "You'll get used to it. They're not really insulting each other…they're just mock-fighting."

Harry nodded in understanding. He could tell that there wasn't any animosity between Winry and Edward as they stuck their tongues out and chased each other around, even without Alphonse telling him. Rather, he found a fond grin work its way on his face.

Yea…he reckoned he was definitely going to enjoy living with the Elrics.

* * *

School was certainly different for Harry in Risembool. They were actually a little behind in the curriculum that Surrey was, and the teachers all welcomed him in with open arms, and didn't question his headband. A glance around told him why; some kids were bandanas and hats, so a headband was hardly a problem.

Rules were a lot more lax in this school than in Surrey, but then again, this school barely had a quarter of the students that Surrey had.

Alphonse was in a lower grade, but Harry found himself in a seat next to Edward, in the same classes as Winry, as well. There were two divisions of classes for the small school: High End and Middle End.

"Most schools," Edward whispered to Harry during history, "might have advanced placement classes and what-not. Here, I suppose 'High End' would be the upper grades, and 'Middle End' would be the lower ones. Not enough students to divide the class into three or four sections."

Harry nodded in understanding. He had also been pointed out to Pitt, who was in High End classes with them, though just barely. Pitt had looked at him oddly, but then shrugged and asked Edward if he wanted to prank the girls at lunch.

Edward had rolled his eyes and declined.

Harry wanted to ask the blond about it, but since he couldn't speak, he risked writing it down and slipping the note to Edward since their history teacher didn't seem to give a whit what they did.

There was a kid asleep in the first row, even!

Edward looked at it, then grimaced and leaned over. "Pitt's a prankster. I only joined up with him that one time to pay the bullies back, and he's thought, ever since, that I'd enjoy playing pranks. I don't mind if it's to serve justice, but not if the other kids haven't deserved it."

Harry nodded, a little relieved.

"Actually, we only met recently…we moved to England after the incident occurred that Al talked about this morning. Up till two and a half years ago, we were in Germany. Mom and dad, though…they didn't want me, and eventually Al, to wind up in the wizarding school, there. Durmsdang, or whatever it's called, is notorious for dark magic."

Harry had to lean in closer during the last few whispers, since Edward had lowered his voice significantly. They were in the back of the room, and off to the side, so it was doubtful that anyone would overhear. However, Edward apparently didn't want to take the chance.

Edward frowned slightly, but it quickly cleared up.

Harry wanted to question it, but this time, Edward didn't elaborate on why he had cringed.

Edward figured he would tell Harry, eventually…that most magical schools wouldn't be able to accommodate a boy in a wheelchair. His mother had gone to Hogwarts, and she said there were moving stairs…only, they moved horizontally and not vertically, so Alphonse wouldn't be able to get anywhere. If he couldn't find some sort of cure for Alphonse before his brother turned eleven…

Edward didn't want to think about that. He was still working on trying to break into the more magical and encrypted section of his father's study, along with Alphonse. He figured that there should be some sort of answer there, since it was their father's notes that led them to completing the research and curing their mother when they were barely school age.

Harry looked back to the front when Edward fell into silence, and decided not to bother the boy. He doodled a bit in his notebook, since the history they were going over was something he had already learned back in Surrey. Just because he had to fail his tests on purpose to make Dudley look better didn't mean that he didn't know the answers.

After all…in order to purposely get the wrong answers, he had to know the right ones.

A sudden fear gripped Harry, which made him pause mid-stroke.

What if the Elrics were the same?

Edward was a genius, and Alphonse was obviously not too far behind. If it turned out Trisha was right, and Harry was smarter than everyone thought…

…would they be angry?

Harry was almost afraid to find out.

He must have lost color to his face or taken on the look of panic he felt, because Edward gently kicked his chair to get his attention.

"What's wrong?" Edward whispered.

Harry worried his lip. Did he dare tell?

Then again, this would be the best time, since they were in the middle of class. Maybe the teacher didn't mind kids whispering to each other, passing notes, and sleeping, but Harry bet that the teacher sure as hell would mind a fight.

Classrooms with teachers in them were the only places that Harry was ever safe back in Surrey, and he knew it.

Reluctantly, Harry jotted down his concern and passed it to Edward, then kept his head bowed so as not to see the boy's reaction.

It was just as well that he didn't, because he might have mistook the look of anger on Edward's face.

Edward squeezed his eyes shut and counted back from ten to one. He was told he could have a bit of a temper, and the last thing he wanted was for it to come out in the middle of class. That, and Harry might think that it was directed at him, when it wasn't.

Rather, Edward entertained himself and calmed himself down by imagining what he could transmute Harry's aunt, uncle, and cousin into. It was forbidden, to use alchemy on humans unless it was to heal…but it was still funny to think about turning them into bird perches where they would be crapped on, or squealing pigs.

Both pretty much went against the laws of alchemy, too, but it didn't stop Edward from imagining it. Besides…he knew one of the magical subjects was like alchemy, but without all of the equivalent trade rules.

Transfigurating, was it?

Something like that.

By the time Harry finally worked up the nerve to look up, Edward's face was back to a neutral expression…though, the bespectacled boy couldn't quite figure out that slightly impish twinkle in the other's eyes, or the mischievous grin…

Finally, Edward shook himself, and whispered to the concerned boy, "No sweat. Just do your very best. Actually, I'd like if someone could come up to my level. Winry is sorta up there, but not quite, and Al's a grade behind me. Though, school isn't everything…we focus more on alchemy, cause we like it more."

Harry let a relieved smile come to his face. The other boy amazed him with his perception, and he had found that Alphonse was even more perceptive, particularly when it came to emotions. He was still a bit hesitant, but though Edward could spin a lie when he wanted, the other boy had been nothing but honest to Harry.

Sometimes, honest to a fault, as Edward had started to babble about alchemy halfway on their way to school, and had to be silenced by an elbow from Winry and a look from Alphonse since they had tread into muggle territory.

Though, now that Harry thought about it, Alphonse looked just as eager to join his brother in talking about alchemy.

Harry made a mental note to somehow ask the two brothers about it after school. It wasn't like any of them were going to have problems with their homework, after all.

* * *

Harry had grinned when Edward fell asleep in science, and when woken up to answer a question, immediately listed off the most scientific explanation as the answer. The rest of the class looked a mixture of confusion and awe, while the teacher just sighed in exasperation.

It was when they got home that Edward explained.

"See, alchemy is based on science…got its roots in science, even. Al and I memorized the Periodic Table of Elements when we were little. Most stuff in the wizarding world is different, but it's all made up of the same elements."

The boys took their shoes off, even Al, and left them at the doorway. They had to unlock the door since Trisha worked until the evening. According to Edward, the Rockbells sometimes watched after them, but it typically wasn't necessary for them to be in the house all the time.

So, they would only call or floo for an emergency.

"Floo…" Edward walked over to the fireplace and pointed to a pot. "You can use the phone until you've flooed before, but floo powder is simple enough. You grab a handful of the stuff and throw it into the fireplace, and say your destination, like so…"

Alphonse watched in amusement, and Harry in awe, as green flames sprung up.

"Rockbell family room!" Edward stated loudly, then, to Harry's surprise, stuck his face into the green flames.

Alphonse explained to Harry who was just about ready to go pull Edward back and dub him as suicidal. "He's now looking into the living room of Winry's house."

Harry looked up, alarmed.

"Don't worry about thieves…the floo network is quite complex, mom said. There are certain safeguards to prevent it. I'm not sure how it works, since if you say the name wrong, you can end up in another spot, but…" Alphonse trailed off with a shrug.

Edward pulled his face back from the fire, which sputtered and died out.

To Harry's surprise, there wasn't even a trace of heat or soot on Edward's face when he turned to look at them.

"Winry shouted at me for scaring her." Edward chuckled. "But, yea…that's the floo. I know you grew up muggle-like, so our telephone is right by the kitchen. In the drawer of the table it's on, is a small, black book."

Harry obediently followed Edward, and wondered if the boy realized that, to use the telephone, it would require him to _talk_.

He liked this new place, but wasn't sure if he was ready to leave the safety of silence just yet.

Edward opened the drawer and pulled out said book. "First page is the emergency contact list. Numbers for the fire department, police…and St. Mungo's are all listed. St. Mungo's has a muggle line for families with muggleborns that don't use floo. Anyway, down here is 'contacts'…you see the Rockbell name? Just dial that number unless it's a big emergency. In that case, you'd be dialing St. Mungo's. But, don't worry…Al and I know what we're doing with alchemy. We only got hurt before cause…well, it was untested and dangerous stuff."

The elder Elric refused to say anything more about the accident, and Alphonse was also tight-lipped.

Harry got the feeling that they were either traumatized by it, or forbidden to speak of it.

Or perhaps a little of both.

Either way, he nodded in understanding about the emergency contacts.

Edward's grin returned. "Dad's study is upstairs. Al and I can't break the more complex wards, yet, but since dad mostly warded his library with alchemy, we've gotten into some of the lesser stuff. He was more into that than wand waving. Good for us, huh?"

Harry mirrored the impish grin, particularly when the good natured Alphonse gave him a nod.

"You asked earlier…we can explain about alchemy, now. We can even show you! Ed made a peephole when you first came."

Harry's eyes lit with recognition. So _that _was the odd surge he felt! And how the hole had appeared and vanished!

Edward grinned, then gestured to the ramp-stairs that Alphonse was already halfway up.

Harry took the hint and followed the boys.

Hoenheim's study was small, with a desk in one corner and a couple of flasks on a table in another. On that large table was what looked like a cauldron and a complete chemistry set from a fantasy book.

Alphonse leaned over to whisper to Harry. "He's got a bigger 'lab' in the basement. Bunch of stuff down there…some of the more complex and dangerous books there, too. We're not allowed down there. I wouldn't be able to get down there, either…"

Harry nodded when Alphonse trailed off with a frown. Apparently, their father had taken the steps to prevent the boys from straying down where they weren't supposed to. Or, at least prevented Alphonse from getting there. Harry was sure that there were other things keeping Edward from breaking in and going down the stairs, as well.

As he continued to look around the room, he saw rows and rows of books. There was a bookshelf up against the right hand wall, and the one by the door since the other walls were taken up by the desk to the left and the table straight ahead, though there was a smaller bookshelf in between them.

Edward had walked over to one of the bookshelves and pulled off a thick tome that was faded, with a strange picture on the cover composed of a triangle superimposed over a square, and both settled neatly in a circle.

"This is a beginner's book on alchemy. Well, the English version. Even though we lived in Germany, most of our books were in English. Like I said, our parents didn't want us to go to the school there, so I supposed that's why they moved back here. That, and cause St. Mungo's is the best wizarding hospital around."

"They made sure we knew the language, so we'd fit right in," Alphonse completed his brother's thought.

Edward nodded and handed the book to Harry. "This is one book mom doesn't mind when it goes missing from the study. Other books in here, Al and I hafta study in secret, cause they're on the 'advanced' side…leaning towards 'forbidden theory' in some of them. Last year, we figured out how to break the wards on those sets of books. Still working on the basement, though."

Harry grinned and accepted the book. No doubt, he would have a lot to learn about the wizarding world, but alchemy interested him something fierce. Then again, with the way the Elric brothers went on about it, and how excited they were to talk about it, he couldn't help but feel excited, too.

Edward took a seat on the throw rug in the middle of the room, and gestured for Harry and Alphonse to follow.

Alphonse wheeled himself over, then, with the help of Edward, maneuvered himself into a chair without legs. It was more of a seat with a backing to it that sat on the rug.

Harry had wondered what it was for, and now he understood; it was so Alphonse had support. There was the possibility the boy could sit up on his own, but it was there just in case.

"We have some help here in learning bout the safer routes of alchemy, since there's a lady here that also…well, saw what we saw." Edward had shifted somewhat when he said the last part.

Harry nodded, and didn't press for information. It was obvious that whatever Edward and Alphonse had seen when they cured their mother's illness was something not to be spoken of lightly.

"She teaches us martial arts. I can't use my legs, but she knows all sorts of interesting techniques," Alphonse added.

"She lives in the muggle section, cause her husband's a muggle. She pretty much swore off alchemy after her…encounter. Just uses it in emergencies, now. As soon as she saw us, she knew immediately that something had happened, so she talked to us bout it." Edward shrugged.

"It was kinda nice. Though, mom wants you to settle in a bit before you meet her. She figures you can take lessons with us in case you ever need it."

Harry opened his mouth, then closed it.

Edward grinned. "Gonna ask why take martial arts when we got alchemy and wands, right?"

Harry smiled and bobbed his head in a 'yes'.

Alphonse beamed. "Cause you never know! Always be prepared!"

Edward agreed. "That's what sensei says! That's a Japanese word for 'teacher', since her style is a Japanese one. So, we call her 'sensei'. Her name's Izumi Curtis, and she's awesome! Kicks major arse, but can be really nice."

Alphonse started to say something, then thought better of it.

Edward, however, ploughed on ahead. "See…mom is one of those folks that don't think Voldemort was completely killed. Said he was too evil and into immortality to just die that easy…"

"Ed!" Alphonse warned.

Edward frowned at his brother. "What? He has a right to know!"

Harry nodded in agreement. It was all overwhelming, but he agreed with Edward; if it was about him, he sure as hell had a right to know, alright.

Alphonse sighed, then turned to Harry. "We're in martial arts for the discipline, and I guess that's a good reason for you, but mom mostly wants to put you in class with us in case you ever need to physically defend yourself."

"Not that it'll help against a spell…can't punch a spell away. But, if you ever lose your wand and are in a desperate situation, it could help ya. Specially if Voldemort ever comes back somehow."

"We don't want to scare you…"

Harry shook his head. It was a little disconcerting that an evil wizard that had tried to kill him could still be out there, but for once in his life, he felt absolutely safe. He was with two boys that had somehow managed to cure their mother's illness with alchemy when they were around the age for first grade! No, he wasn't worried, and to show it, he opened the book on alchemy.

Edward beamed, then pulled a couple books off of a shelf that Harry hadn't noticed before, somewhat hidden by another shelf.

Alphonse grinned impishly at Harry, the look slightly strange on the more rule-abiding brother.

"Our secret stash…or, the advanced stuff. If you have any questions…" Edward grabbed a notebook and a pen. "…just write it here. There are quills to use, and we'll teach you how to use one, but they're freak'n annoying. Frankly, I don't see why wizards hafta live in the Medieval times and can't just use a muggle ballpoint pen. Much easier."

Harry snickered and accepted the items.

Then, silence filled the room as each boy carefully read their respective books.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	5. Welcome to Diagon Alley

Since I'm not rich, I don't own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist.

There's been a two year time skip from chapter four to this one; getting closer to an actual plot!

I don't think there are any other notes for this chapter, so let's get right to it!

* * *

Chapter 5: Welcome to Diagon Alley

The years flew by, with the occasional visit from a Hogwarts professor sent by Dumbledore to make sure everything was working out this time. McGonagall was the most frequent visitor, though they occasionally saw a very reluctant Snape. Once, it was a slightly heavyset woman with a kind face, and another time, it was a very small man with bushy hair.

The visits gradually tapered off until they stopped completely, not that Harry minded. He was beginning to trust adults again, or at least, anyone that Trisha felt could be trusted.

The boys, meanwhile, had delved deep into their alchemy. Occasionally, they had received an update letter from Hoenheim, which Trisha would read wistfully, but for the most part, it was just the four of them.

Winry sometimes came over, and occasionally, the boys visited her. Harry had been amazed at the magic "automail" that the Rockbells intended to spell so that they would be like a working limb for someone that had lost one.

They also kept up with their martial arts; Alphonse was a fierce fighter despite his handicap, and Harry found out that Edward was like a little monkey mixed with a tiger…he got in and out as quickly as possible, and was very agile. Harry liked Izumi Curtis, though the woman showed no mercy during sparring sessions. She would also sometimes talk about alchemy and life, which was interesting to hear about.

Harry had started speaking again around the age of ten, much to the excitement of the Elric family.

He also took to alchemy quite quickly, and learned about the various potions and amplifiers that could help in the process of alchemy. It took him a little longer than Edward and Alphonse to learn the Periodic Table, but he did eventually recall it all. Since he had to cook daily for the Dursley's, he had learned to be quite handy with a knife and being exact in ingredients, which helped when the boys tested out theories.

Trisha had once commented that Harry's mother was excellent at potions, so it was no wonder that Harry had inherited it.

Edward had become a little frustrated that he couldn't find anything on how to cure Alphonse's condition, though between the three boys, they made headway on getting past the wards keeping them from the basement, at least.

_"We'll hafta break it with just alchemy. Once you get a wand and start school, they put a Trace on you till you're seventeen. Mom says that if magic is performed with the wand out of Hogwarts, you can get in big trouble and could even be expelled unless it's a life or death situation."_

That's what Edward had told Harry when the boy questioned why they just didn't wait until they could learn spells to break some of the more complicated wards.

_"Alchemy is closer to the basis of the entire concept of magic. If anything can break those wards, it'll be alchemy. Fact is, most spells and conceptions come from alchemy. That's not a widely known fact, though. Best keep quiet about it. Mom says that we shouldn't show we can do alchemy unless we gotta."_

Harry understood that, since alchemy wasn't even a subject at Hogwarts, according to Trisha Elric. Rather, it seemed to be more of a "forgotten art", and was rarely mentioned in any books. The only book it was mentioned in was a very old book in another language, which Edward told Harry was either Arabic or Egyptian.

However, all thoughts of breaking wards and finding a cure for Alphonse was temporarily put on hold.

Edward, after all, had just turned eleven. He was now the oldest of the kids, as Harry wouldn't be turning eleven for another seven months, but at least that meant they could be in the same Hogwarts year.

Being eleven, Edward was the first to receive his letter for Hogwarts a few months after his birthday, in June, which he would be attending next year since his 11th birthday had been late in December.

It did mean, however, that they would make a trip to Diagon Alley.

The Elrics hadn't ever gone there, since there were wizarding areas hidden in the muggle stores in Risembool. Plus, they had Harry with them, and though he covered his scar, it would only take one slip up to reveal who he was and where he was staying.

Apparently, his move had been secret, and most people were led to believe that he was still with the Dursley's.

The house was a bustle of activity, as the family opted for muggle clothing, though they had to wear a robe over it with a simple clasp in front of their chest.

Edward's was red, and Harry's was blue, the same color as his headband that hid his scar. They picked their favorite outfits, which had grown with them.

Alphonse had been sent over to the Rockbell family for the day to play with Winry since he couldn't come. There were ways for him to get to Diagon Alley, but both Trisha and Edward were afraid that others would pick on him.

Harry, too, felt that he wouldn't be able to keep quiet if someone messed with Alphonse because of his disability.

This found them in front of the fireplace, all set to head out.

"Remember what I said bout floo powder?" Edward asked Harry.

Harry, in return, nodded. "Yea."

Edward went first, anyway, to show how it was done. He was careful to go slow so Harry could definitely see as he grabbed a handful from the pot, then stepped into the fireplace.

"Diagon Alley!" Edward shouted when the flames sprung up. The green flames engulfed him, and he was gone.

Trisha smiled at Harry. "You go on ahead next, Harry. I'll follow last."

Harry took a deep breath and steeled his nerve as he followed Edward's lead. _Speak clearly, and you don't have to be nervous, because Ed is there…_

Trisha smiled at him, and Harry felt a little less nervous about it. He took a deep breath and let it out. Losing his nerve or his mind about it would only make the situation worse. He had to stay level-headed.

Harry let the powder drop, and when the green flames sprung up and licked harmlessly at his trainers, he shouted out, "Diagon Alley!"

It was like a roller coaster without any direction or harness, and seemed to go this way and that before his feet finally hit the ground somewhere and he tumbled.

Harry would have hit the ground if a hand hadn't reached out and caught his arm.

Edward grinned down at the boy. "Not bad for the first time. You'll get the hang of landing. Maybe we should have some experimental trips to Winry's house so you can get used to it."

Harry chuckled and stepped aside to fix his glasses. "I dunno…not too crazy about that ride. Loads better than how McGonagall got me to Risembool, though, I suppose…"

Edward snickered, then smiled again when Trisha appeared and stepped out of the fireplace.

Now that Harry looked around, he noticed that they were in a pub of sorts, and there were a couple fireplaces next to theirs…probably to help with the traffic of people coming and going.

The Boy-Who-Lived adjusted his headband to make sure it hid his scar properly, then nodded to Trisha and Edward when he was ready.

"Try to stay together. If we get separated, meet at Gringotts…the wizard bank. It's the largest building in Diagon Alley, and you can see it from no matter where you are, as far as I know. That's where we'll head, first, to withdraw some money. I also have something for you, Harry…I wasn't supposed to give it to you until you started Hogwarts, but since we're here, I might as well." Trisha looked between the two boys.

"Kay!" Edward beamed.

Harry looked curious at the prospect of something belonging to him, but kept quiet about it as he nodded along with his energetic cousin.

A few people turned to look as they exited the pub, but most didn't pay them any mind, to which Harry was grateful. He had a feeling, however, that if he removed his headband, the room would be transformed into a chaotic mess. Almost subconsciously, he reached up to make sure it was still there, even though he knew very well that it was.

He didn't think he could handle a large crowd, let alone a large crowd moving in on him.

"You okay?" Edward noticed Harry's shudder.

"Yea…just thinking…" Harry fixed his headband again.

Edward grinned. "Should I ask mom to put a sticking charm on that so you stop fiddling with it? Seriously, Harry…don't worry. Just don't tell anyone your last name, and if they ask, say you're an Elric. Sides…we're in _Diagon Alley_. Even I haven't been here, yet! Should be wicked!"

Harry grinned. Edward's enthusiasm was contagious, and Harry soon found himself eager to see why Edward had been nearly unable to sleep when Trisha declared they were going to Diagon Alley that weekend.

When the door to the pub opened, Harry suddenly understood. The only word he could find to describe the magical place that was Diagon Alley was "brilliant".

Sure, the Elrics were a magical family, but they lived amongst muggles, so they had to be careful what they did. To see flying contraptions, owls overhead, and people walking around in robes and hats…

…it was, well…

…_brilliant_.

* * *

Even Edward wasn't immune to the allure of Diagon Alley, and quite a few times, Trisha had to keep the boy and Harry in sight.

There was just so much to see that Edward and Harry couldn't believe.

"Alright, boys…" Trisha had to pull them away from a store that had books in the window. They hadn't stopped at the Quidditch store, no…though, they both had been interested in the brooms…it was the bookstore that Trisha wound up pulling them away from.

Edward whined, and Harry pouted.

"We'll come back," Trisha promised them. "We need money, after all."

The white building that they had headed towards was certainly very prominent, and seemed to be in the center of Diagon Alley. It had marble steps that led up to it, and large doors. Between the doors was a sign that hung with a warning to anyone who wished to steal from the bank.

Edward and Harry paused at the sign, then whispered between each other as they tried to guess what could be lurking in there that would protect the vaults.

All of their speech stopped, however, when they got in, and saw all of the mini-people like things with long ears working behind desks.

Harry had to make an effort not to let his jaw drop as he quickly stepped closer to the two he was with so he was in between Trisha and Edward.

"Mom…what…well…_are_ they?" Edward whispered with a glance at the creatures. He didn't sound afraid, merely curious.

Harry, too, was curious, and listened for the answers.

"Goblins. They run Gringotts…very good with money, and very protective of it, as well. Try not to stare, you two," Trisha responded.

Both boys nodded and straightened up a bit as Trisha approached the counter and began talking to one of the goblins about going to her vault.

It was then when Trisha also mentioned the Potter vault. "We would like to visit that, as well, seeing as it belongs to Harry."  
Harry's jaw dropped this time. "I…have a vault?"

Trisha smiled at him and placed the key to said vault in Harry's stunned hands. "Of course, Harry. Your parents left you some money. I'm not sure how much, but save money spent on the war effort, they were fairly well off."

"I'll use my own, then…if there's plenty," Harry immediately stated. "Instead of you buying things for me…"

Trisha shook her head. "No, Harry. You can use that money on whatever you'd like, but allow me to buy you your school supplies."

Harry frowned and worried his lip. "But…you've already done so much for me…"

Trisha smiled warmly. "That's what family does, Harry. We aren't poor. Risembool is a small town, and most people there don't make much money, but my husband was a scholar, and made quite a lot. You needn't worry about that."

Harry looked about ready to protest as they headed to the odd roller coaster looking cars that would take them to the vaults.

Edward interrupted. "Just go with it. Mom's not lying. We aren't poor or anything, so you don't gotta worry."

Harry finally seemed to accept it, and gave the two a nod.

The journey to the bank vaults was quite interesting for both boys, who enjoyed the ride very much. Even Trisha seemed to smile when they got on and off the 'car'. True to her word, the Elric vault had quite an amount of coins in it.

"The gold coins are galleons," Edward explained to Harry as Trisha collected what they would need. "Silver ones are sickles, and the bronze are knuts. The other stuff in there are artifacts and what not…dad was a big collector of old items due to…you know."

Harry nodded at the elusion to alchemy. "I suppose we shan't try to touch any of it…"

Edward chuckled. "Not unless we wanna be hexed. Lotta wards on that stuff. Dunno if you can feel it…try to reach out like I taught ya."

It was difficult for Harry to do since he still needed to draw sigils and circles, so he didn't have the innate ability to sense magic and power, but he had been practicing it and putting it to use to feel out the wards on the basement.

Sure enough, he was rewarded with strong feelings that came from some of the artifacts in the vault; it almost made him jump.

"Like the basement, yea?" Edward smiled solemnly. "_His_ stuff…he prolly put up the wards on these things, too."

Harry could only nod once again. "It's brilliant." He knew a little of Edward's father; had never met the man personally, but Edward and Alphonse spoke very highly of the man and his research…at least, until the letters stopped, and Edward was torn between being angry at the man for not writing and still missing him.

Though, Edward had also confided in him that he was a bit worried about some of the things his father must have been delving into by some of the books he had managed to get his hands on.

_"I hope he's use'n this stuff so he knows it in order to come up with counters and what-not…"_

Edward had said that after he broke some wards to the remaining books in the study and had found books that ranged from magical Dark Arts to deadly potions, to the misuses and forbidden areas of alchemy like chimera creation and human transmutation. None went into a lot of detail, and though there were a couple ideas that might help Alphonse, Edward wasn't willing to do any of them with what they entailed.

That, and some of them called for things that pre-Hogwarts students wouldn't be able to get their hands on.

It did, however, make the three boys a little more wary of what they might find in the basement should they breach the wards. If they had managed to breach the wards for the books that spoke of things like human transmutation…what lay ahead of them in the basement?

Thoughts were interrupted when Trisha returned, pocketing a coin purse.

"Shall we see your vault, Harry?" Trisha questioned.

The two boys exchanged eager looks, then Edward grinned as Harry nodded.

* * *

"That was…amazing! Brilliant!" Edward was still trying to find words for it as they headed to Apothecary for potions supplies.

Trisha had decided to work their way from one end of Diagon Alley to the other, since Ollivander's, where they would get their wands, was on said other end. She had told them that they would stop off at the bookstore for their school books (and maybe extra spending) after they had everything else they needed, saving it for last.

Harry was alright with it, and Edward didn't complain even though it was obvious that he wanted to see what sort of books were in that store right now.

"Yea…I'm surprised." Harry had pulled out some pocket money after Edward told him the exchange rates, and suggested how much he should withdraw for just personal spending.

Still, there were piles of gold in the vault; even more than the Elric vault had. There weren't as many ancient artifacts, but there were other treasures; some of which Harry didn't dare touch yet since he had Probed them and found some had enchantments.

Harry had asked Edward's opinion since he only got half the information when he Probed due to the fact that he couldn't very well draw a circle in the middle of the bank, and it was confirmed that there were a lot of enchantments and spells on some of the items.

It was a handy ability to have, and it came from alchemy. Edward warned him to keep that one a secret, as well, if he could. But, it could help gauge a situation, or even feel out how powerful someone was. Just a guesstimate, but it could still be useful.

The two boys paused again at the bookstore, then once more at the Quidditch shop.

Edward was explaining it to Harry as they continued on their way. "…and the game is over when the Seeker catches the Golden Snitch."

"…on _brooms_?" Harry still couldn't get over it.

Edward grinned. "We've got a couple at home. I never really used them cause Al wouldn't be ableta…but mom can enchant the backyard so muggles can't see it, and we can give it a go." He glanced back at his mother. "Uh…if that's alright."

Trisha nodded. "As long as you two are careful, and I'm watching, then yes."

Harry beamed, and Edward pumped a fist in a silent cheer, since he didn't want to vocalize his joy in the middle of the crowded marketplace.

Once they reached the Apothecary, a surprise awaited them, and recognized them almost as soon as they stepped through the doors.

"Severus!" Trisha exclaimed in surprise.

The sallow skinned potions master dressed in all black that had helped rescue Harry turned around from where he had been inspecting some of the wares.

Harry took a half step behind Edward. Yes, the man had saved him, but he kept getting the feeling that the guy didn't like him for some reason. He certainly wasn't comfortable in his presence.

Edward, as if sensing Harry's reluctance, stood his ground and inched to the side a bit to put himself even more between the potions master and Harry. A single word rang through the minds of both children.

_Awkward._

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	6. Friends and Foes

Insert witty disclaimer line, here.

Notes on this chapter: When I first wrote it, I had the boys shopping shortly after Edward's birthday, which I decided/figured to be sometime in December. Obviously, this was wrong, as Hogwarts letters don't go out until June 1st. So, I had to make some adjustments. Everything should be edited to fit, but if anyone spots an inconsistency, let me know, please!

Yes, one of the Hallows is the Elder Wand, but I wasn't even thinking of that when I wrote the type of wood for Edward's wand. I was using a guide that explained what sort of magical trees were the most powerful for a given day and month, similar to horoscopes, and according to the Celtic Druids; Edward's came out to be Elder wood.

The Demiguise hair was also from some more research on wand cores in the Harry Potter world; it's supposed to be good for Transfiguration, according to the guide I found, and figured that would probably respond the best to Edward's alchemic powers.

The "Probing", which was briefly mentioned last chapter as well, will be explained in further detail later on, no worries.

For those wondering, the alchemy the boys performed that left them crippled will also be explained later on.

A thank you to **Roaming Shadow** for pointing out I had Ed's birthday wrong. ^^;;

Last time I had looked up information on the characters, nobody knew Ed's birthday. Apparently, he has an official one, now, so I've changed the information in the chapter to make this more accurate.

* * *

Chapter 6: Friends and Foes

"It's been a while, Severus," Trisha greeted the man with a smile.

"Indeed…" Severus looked like he would much rather not be making small talk.

Edward gently tugged on Harry's cloak so that the two could look at various ingredients and chemicals without being stared at.

"Edward!" Trisha noticed. "Be polite, now!"

Edward scoffed his shoe with a frown, still protectively in front of Harry. "Hullo, sir."

Harry opened his mouth to echo the greeting, and found that he couldn't locate his voice. The man was intimidating, and had an aura much like Vernon had. Even when he had rescued Harry, he was still scary. Each time he was forced to check up on them, Harry had retreated as far away as possible.

He could see it in the man's eyes…hatred. It was conflicting with another emotion that Harry couldn't quite place, but he definitely saw hatred.

"No greeting?" Severus curled a lip.

Trisha frowned. "He's just shy, Severus. He finally started talking again not too long ago."

"Mm…" Severus didn't sound too convinced.

Harry cringed when the dark eyes turned to him, and tried to make himself invisible behind Edward.

"What brings you here? Isn't there a term?" Trisha tried to deflect some of the hostility in the room.

"Holiday vacation. I decided to restock some of my supplies." Severus finally took his eyes off of the boys.

Edward, this time, was successful in pulling Harry to another section of the store.

When the two boys were too far away to hear the conversation, Harry hugged himself and trembled while Edward swore to himself.

"I…I don't want to go. Not if he's teaching. He hates me…I don't know why, but…"

Edward held up a hand to silence Harry's frightened babble. "Yea, but I'll be there."

"What if we're not in the same house?" Harry was on the verge of tears, though he hated himself for it.

Edward patted the boy on the shoulder. "I'm sure we will be! And, hey, maybe he'll have quit or some'n by next year. Never know, right? Let's not let that mood spoil this. There should be some awesome stuff here."

"I…I couldn't talk. I…"

"Dun make you a coward. You just got over what those bastards did to ya, and then that scary creep comes along…you're talk'n now, so no worries." Edward assured the other boy.

Harry removed his glasses and wiped his eyes, then placed the spectacles back on his nose with a small smile.

"Now, come on…we've got time. Mom will be talk'n to him for a bit, prolly. Then, we hafta get our school things. Let's just…forget it happened and see if we can find some of the stuff mentioned in dad's books."

"Not sure I'd want to find _everything _mentioned in your father's books…"

Edward snickered. "Too true, Harry. I wouldn't touch some of his experiments with a ten foot pole! I'm more focused on how to cure Al, though…"

"What about your own leg? Al often says he wants to help you out…"

Edward waved it off. "I'm used to it by now. Back before we knew about automail, I couldn't even walk on it. Now, unless someone sees, they don't know. I can still go to Hogwarts, but Al…if I can't cure him by the time I'm done with my first year of Hogwarts, before the next term…he…he won't be able to come."

Harry briefly touched Edward on the shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll figure something out. The cause was alchemy, so the answer must lie in alchemy. Potions is interesting, but probably won't help us much except find some sort of potion to knock him out while we cure him."

Edward smiled at the 'we' parts. "Yea…yea! No getting depressed! There's an entire library at Hogwarts, too! We'll find some'n!"

Harry and Edward clasped hands in a silent agreement, and just in time, as Trisha came over with a smile on her face.

"Ready to get your school things?"

Edward made a disgruntled expression. "How can you talk to him so easily, mom? He obviously doesn't like Harry."

Trisha sighed. "It's…complicated."

"How?" Harry ventured to ask.

Trisha looked around the store, then lowered her voice. "He and your father, Harry, didn't get along at all."

Harry's frown deepened.

Edward looked on the verge of hitting something. "So he's taking it out on Harry. How _mature _of him."

Trisha sighed. "I agree, but this isn't the right place to discuss it."

"All I can say is he better shape up…else he might find his classroom…reconfigured…by the time _I'm_ through with it…"

Harry couldn't help but laugh at Edward's threat, despite the woman's disapproving look.

* * *

The rest of the trip went smoothly. They didn't need to get fitted for their robes yet since Trisha figured they would do that when Harry's letter arrived in order to give the boys some growing room, to which both boys quickly agreed, as neither wanted to spend time clothes shopping or being reminded of how short they were.

There was a small scare in Ollivander's when they found out that Harry's wand, after a series of duds, had a 'brother' wand, and that wand had belonged to Voldemort. After Trisha gave Ollivander a stern look for causing Harry to go wide-eyed and retreat into himself, the old man finally got around to Edward.

Edward, himself, had caused a bit of destruction in the store, as the wands attempted to respond to his alchemy powers.

Ollivander was near ready to tear his hair out, and it was a nice reprieve from the scare that had been Harry's 11-inch Holly wand with the Phoenix tailfeather, brother wand to Voldemort's.

Edward, though he hadn't done any damage on purpose, and wasn't trying to be difficult, still turned and winked at Harry when Ollivander muttered to himself and went to fetch another wand.

Gold sparks finally flew out of a wand that Ollivander mentioned was excellent for Transfiguration work. So, Edward left with his mother and Harry, as well as a 10 and a quarter inch wand made of Rowan wood with an unusual core of Demiguise Hair.

With wands out of the way, the boys gleefully made their way to the bookstore, almost racing each other to get there. Trisha managed to keep up, and the boys made sure not to run too far ahead, until they finally reached the bookstore.

That's when the boys got a surprise.

Or, Trisha did, in the form of a man with sandy blond hair and honey eyes that wore an old and worn, threadbare tan coat and matching pants with a ratty robe over his form.

Edward skidded to a halt, and managed to grab Harry before the two boys would collide with the stranger.

The man looked up in surprise at the flurry of activity.

Trisha caught up, and smiled. "Well, this is a much more pleasant encounter than the one in the Apothecary. Afternoon, Remus."

At first, Remus just stared at her. Then, his eyes brightened and he smiled. "Trisha Elric?"

Trisha nodded, and the two embraced briefly.

Edward froze where he stood, then eyed this 'Remus' guy warily.

Harry just watched in confusion.

"How are you? My gosh, it's been years!" Trisha gushed when they drew apart. "What are you doing around these parts?"

Remus smiled tightly. "Failing to get a job. How are you doing?"

"Wonderfully! There was a small problem a few years ago, but I recovered. Well, thanks to my boys. Alphonse isn't here, but…"

"That's right…Hoenheim showed us pictures of your children." Remus's eyes turned to Edward and Harry, then froze on the latter. It couldn't be, could it? But he looks so much like him…

Trisha smiled and placed a hand on Edward's shoulder, then Harry's. "Alphonse isn't here today, but this is Edward, and Harry."

Remus's eyes misted up, and he blinked quickly to try and clear them as he knelt down in front of the curious green eyed child. "Harry? The Harry that's…?"

Trisha nodded, a sad smile on her face.

Harry wasn't intimidated by this man like he was Severus, so he was able to stand his ground.

Edward, however, was still frozen to the spot. Not just because of the hug, it was often common for friends to do such things, but because when he Probed with his senses, something came back…strange. It wasn't _bad_, as this man had a good vibe to him, but it wasn't the usual feeling he was used to getting around other people when he Probed.

"Hello, Harry." Remus held out his hand with a gentle smile. "I'm Remus Lupin…I was a friend of your father's."

Harry's eyes widened, and a smile formed on his face as he took the offered hand. He knew instantly that Remus was telling the truth by the man's behavior and the way the hand trembled slightly. "Nice to meet you, sir."

Remus smiled. "Polite. Much more so than your father, at least. Though, not surprising…you have your mother's eyes. Still, you're your own person."

Harry nodded, and watched as Remus stood up.

Remus then looked at Edward and smiled at him. "Sorry I didn't greet you properly, either. I was just…"

Edward crossed his arms as he shook himself from his stupor. "You must've known Harry when he was real little, then, if you were friends of his father…so, it's fine. I'm Edward Elric! And dun worry bout Harry, cause if anyone picks on him or anyth'n, I'll make sure they never do it again!"

Remus chuckled. "I don't doubt it. How's your father doing? I haven't spoken to him since the war ended."

Edward's grin dropped and he shifted nervously. "Well…he went to go look for a cure for Al. Cause…he was sorta hurt in an alchemy thing I can't talk about, let alone here in the middle of the street…"

Trisha gave a nod to Remus. "Both boys were affected by it, but Alphonse was hit the hardest in the backlash. Their subject isn't something I'm too familiar with, and I was unconscious at the time, so I can't offer much of an explanation, I'm afraid."

"Subject…? Then, you can do it, too?" Remus glanced down at Edward curiously.

Edward nodded proudly. "Yep! So can Al! He's a year younger'n me…oh! And, Harry can, too! We taught him how!"

Remus looked at both boys with a proud look on his face. "I'm impressed, then! It's not an easy art to learn, let alone perform! If it was, everyone would be doing it."

Harry blushed at the praise, and even Edward rubbed his nose bashfully.

Trisha turned to Remus. "If you're having trouble getting a job, why not look in Risembool? There are some positions open there, and it's a small town…"

Remus's smile became a little strained. "Ah…well, I have a small…problem…that makes it difficult for me to keep a job."

"Please tell me you at least have enough to live off of…and a home." Trisha's smile dropped.

Remus looked away, almost guiltily.

"Remus…"

"I have some…not a lot, mind you. For now, I have both…"

The 'for now' seemed to echo.

Trisha opened her purse and went through it before she pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, then jotted something down and handed it over to Remus. "That's where we live. If you have any problems…_any_…don't hesitate to floo, owl, or even stop over. If you have a muggle telephone where you live, you can use that, too. I'm not going to bar you from seeing Harry, either. Come visit, Remus."

This time, Remus put his hand to his face and rubbed his eyes with his fingers.

Both boys had a sneaking suspicion that it was to hide tears, particularly since his voice was a little hoarse when he spoke next.

"It's…alright? I wanted to visit before, but it was a muggle neighborhood, and they wanted nothing to do with wizards…I wouldn't want to impose, and there would be times when I can't come…"

Trisha's smile was back. "It'll be our pleasure."

Remus made an odd choking noise, and Trisha clasped his shoulder gently.

Finally, Remus regained himself, and looked at the two boys. "Is that alright with you two?"

Edward, satisfied that his mother was just being friendly and not making a move on this other man, grinned and gave a thumbs-up. "Yea!"

Harry nodded just as eagerly with a smile. "I'd like that very much, sir!"

"Call me 'Remus'. You, as well, Edward."

"Got'cha!" Edward gave a sloppy salute.

Harry smiled brightly. "Okay, Remus!" Something about this man was very familiar, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it…

Remus chuckled. "Very well. I'll let you all carry on with your shopping. I take it someone is shopping for Hogwarts…?" His gaze was on Edward, since he knew very well that Harry's birthday wasn't for a couple months, yet.

"Yep! I just turned eleven in December! And Harry'll be turning eleven in a couple months, so we'll be going to Hogwarts together!" Edward beamed.

"I certainly don't wish to hold you up from getting your books for Hogwarts. I need to be heading off, anyway…"

Edward tugged on Trisha's skirt, then whispered something to her.

Trisha blinked a couple times in surprise, then smiled softly yet proudly at her eldest son and gave him a nod.

Edward's eyes lit up, and he ran over to the retreating figure of Remus. "Oy! Remus!"

The man turned around in confusion.

Edward grinned, then called out with a blush on his face, "We're have'n a birthday party for Al in a couple weeks! You dun hafta bring a present, but don't be late!"

Remus looked absolutely shocked, as did Harry.

Edward rubbed his nose again, then waved and ran into the bookshop before the man could reply.

A glance at Trisha, who gave him a nod, and Remus smiled and nodded in return.

Harry waved to Remus until he was out of sight, then followed Edward into the bookstore, not just for books, but to thank the boy. He knew, after all, that inviting Remus was for his sake, and he felt a comfortable warmth in his chest when he realized that.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	7. Speaking of Fathers

Still don't own anything!

Things will pick up a bit in the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 7: Speaking of Fathers

Remus had, indeed, shown up at Edward's invitation, and had brought some pictures of Harry's parents (upon Edward's request; the eleven year old had been able to speak to Remus again, and told him that he and Al agreed not to get Al a present, but if he had anything for Harry involving his parents, that would be great).

Harry had been thrilled, and the Elric brothers weren't insulted in the least when Harry spent most of the party with Remus, listening to stories about his parents.

After all, the boys would have done the same. Their father had left a little over three years ago, and he was almost forgetting what it had been like to have a father, even. If a friend of Hoenheim's had suddenly popped up and started to tell him things that his father had gotten into during the absence, Edward certainly would have listened raptly.

Edward warmed to Remus, as had Alphonse, but when the man had left, Edward couldn't take the confusion he felt anymore, and fled to his father's study.

This confused Alphonse and Harry, who exchanged looks and went up to follow the boy.

Harry had wanted to go through the moving picture album again of his parents and his parents' friends, but Edward, and the present, was a little more important.

The two found Edward pulling book after book off of the shelves, muttering to himself and seemingly searching for…something.

"Uh…Ed?" Alphonse was the first to venture.

Edward didn't seem to hear him, but neither boy took offense to that. They knew very well that, when Edward got _really_ focused on something, the rest of the world took the back burner to it.

Rather, Harry was trying to make out what Edward was saying, since his hearing was slightly above average.

There were a few swear words in there as Edward failed to find what he was looking for, as well as words like "strange", "aura", "vibe", "don't understand"…and a few muttered curses at his absent father.

"…bastard could explain it if he were here…"

Harry glanced at Alphonse, but it appeared as if the boy didn't make anything out of Edward's supposedly inane muttering. It wasn't the first time Harry had heard Edward talk bad about his father, as the older Elric was starting to get fed up with his father's absence.

_"If he hasn't found anything, he should come home already! We don't even know if he's alive anymore, cause his letters stopped coming two years ago!"_

Harry believed that Edward was more upset at how sad it had made Trisha than how annoyed it made his cousin.

Alphonse, meanwhile, kept trying and failing to get Edward's attention, so he eventually gave up and sat in his chair, in the room, and watched.

Harry had to duck a book here and there, but couldn't make much sense of what Edward was saying.

Finally, after a pile of books lay strewn on the ground, Edward gave a triumphant cry.

Alphonse and Harry glanced at each other curiously, then watched as Edward plopped down where he was and started to thumb through the pages. The muttering had stopped, and instead, Edward seemed intently focused on the passage he was reading.

If Edward knew the two were staring, he didn't pay it any mind. Rather, his entire being was focused on whatever he was reading.

"What is that Ed's reading?" Harry whispered to Alphonse. He really needn't have whispered, really, considering how Edward probably didn't even know they were there.

Alphonse mused on it a moment. "Ed's gotten into some of the more advanced books…he's better at alchemy than me. But, that's the more advanced copy that explains about alchemic auras."

"Oh." It still didn't tell Harry _why_ Edward was reviewing the book, however. Yes, the Elrics, particularly Edward, had taught him how to Probe, and he had improved a little since they had, but he still wasn't nearly anywhere close to their level.

If anything, it should have been _Harry_ reviewing the book.

Suddenly, Harry realized that a pair of amber eyes were looking at them.

"D'you know anything about Remus? Like…any medical conditions?" Edward asked.

It was an odd question, and Harry shook his head in a negative gesture. "I met him the same time as you did."

"Thought maybe you saw something or he mentioned something when you were talking to him…" Edward half said to Harry, half to himself.

Alphonse finally sighed. "What's this about, Ed?"

He got a question in return. "Have you tried to Probe Remus?"

Alphonse shook his head. "No. It's rude to Probe unless you're suspicious of someone, and some people can feel it, so it's not a good idea to do it out of the blue…Ed! You Probed him!"

"The day we met in Diagon Alley, yea. We'd already encountered Snape…nasty bloke. Mom seemed to have it under control, and gut instinct told me that Remus was more pleasant than Snape, but I wanted to make sure he wasn't a threat. Specially when he seemed to know who Harry was without mention of his last name or seeing the scar."

"Is that why you suddenly got stiff?" Harry blinked.

"Partially." Edward wouldn't admit that the other half was that he thought there might have been some flirting going on between the two. Then again, he got suspicious when any man talked to Trisha.

By the look Alphonse gave him, the boy knew very well what the other 'part' of Edward's stiffening was.

Edward was grateful Alphonse didn't say anything, as he had come to like Remus, despite the odd reaction to the Probe.

"Are you going to explain, or leave us hanging?" Alphonse finally said.

Edward sighed and closed the book. "See, when I Probed him, I felt something strange. It wasn't a _bad_ strange, but…it wasn't a normal thing. It's hard to describe. It was like…there was another conscious or something lurking under the surface that was usually suppressed. This…"

Harry and Alphonse looked at the book which Edward had held up.

"…says that getting an odd reaction to someone's aura could mean that the person either knows they're be'n Probed, which isn't likely since I would have been cut off…_or_, it means that the person could be sick or have a condition or ailment."

"Like mine?" Alphonse inquired. After all, he couldn't Probe himself, so he wouldn't know.

Edward shook his head. "No. I mean, it was sorta like yours, but…different. I can't really explain it. It's just not what I'm used to feel'n when I Probe people."

"Did you Probe Snape?" Harry couldn't help but ask.

"He blocked me mentally. Occulmency or something like that, when I looked up why I was stopped after a few moments. It's an alchemy Probe, so it took him longer to realize that he was being felt out, but he did realize it…not a common thing, to be able to block. They're _both_ suspicious…"

"Should we be worried? About Remus, I mean?" Harry suddenly looked anxious. "If he's sick and doesn't know it…"

"Should we tell him?" Alphonse was hesitant to ask.

Edward sighed and stood up, then started to put books back on the shelf. "Probably. He already knows we can do alchemy, so he'd understand a bit if the Probe was explained. And if he doesn't know he's sick, maybe he can get checked out and treated afore it gets too bad."

Harry nodded in instant agreement to that. He rather liked Remus, and didn't want to find out one day, out of the blue, that the man had fallen horribly ill.

"We can tell mom 'bout it when I finish…or, ya know…it's important, and mom knows how to get in touch with him, so you two go ask her to contact him. I…uh…hafta kinda clean up." Edward flushed when he realized just how many books he had pulled off the shelves during his mad frenzy to find the one in particular that he wanted.

Alphonse chuckled, and Harry grinned.

"Alright. And _do_ clean it up! I know what you're like!" Alphonse wiggled a finger at his brother.

Edward stuck his tongue out in response, which caused chuckles to go up before the two boys split off to do their task while the blond was left to clean up the mess of books in the study.

* * *

Remus had assured them, through floo fire, that he was fine. However, to reassure the kids, he promised them he would keep an eye on his health and get a physical soon.

This satisfied Alphonse and Harry, who relayed the message back to Edward when the boy had finally managed to get downstairs.

Edward got a small lecture from Trisha about Probing people without permission, but otherwise, the topic was dropped. Rather, Edward and Alphonse both expressed interest in Harry's parents, and what Hogwarts was like.

This brought Remus over to visit often, and the boys were entertained with tales from Remus' Hogwarts days, as well as magic. Of course, they knew he was leaving out anything about the war, or the negative aspects of the years, but they were fine with that.

Remus had been quite impressed that the boys could all do alchemy, as "seeing was believing". He was even more stunned that Edward and Alphonse didn't need to draw a circle for basic transmutations, and explained to the boys that it was like doing wandless magic; extremely rare, and unTraceable.

The boys loved learning from Remus, as he was a hands-on teacher, as well, when possible. Just the same, he loved learning about alchemy from the boys, since it was a lost art and there weren't many factual books left on it.

Edward, ever astute, noticed his mother smile more often when they performed alchemy, when Remus was over, or a combination of the two. He was really starting to wonder…

* * *

The three boys were out on the lawn, just laying on the grass and staring at the sky. Even Alphonse had gotten out of his wheelchair to join them, as he had gone with them and Winry to the lake to go fishing. Harry had never gone fishing before meeting the Elrics, and found that it was boring at times but fun none the less, particularly when the company was the Elric brothers, or when Edward would get annoyed and threaten the uncooperative fish that he was going to transmute the lake if they didn't start biting.

After fishing, they would either hang out at Winry's house or the Elric house. Today, Winry had to be home early since she was going to help her grandmother with some automail, so it was just the boys. It was still nice out, and they would probably have to go inside soon, but for now, it was pleasant considering the time of year.

Then again, they rarely ever got snow in Risembool. It was apparently one of the warmest places to live in.

Today's topic of conversation was something that took Alphonse and Harry by surprise.

"You think mom likes Remus?" Alphonse repeated just to be sure he had heard his brother correctly.

Edward nodded.

"They're school mates, aren't they?" Harry blinked.

"Yea…but…the way she looks at him sometimes is kinda strange for just 'school pals'. I dunno. I mean, if it was true, I couldn't blame mom…"

Alphonse's expression turned to one of shock.

Edward glanced away. "…_that man_'s been gone for years. It'll be four years, soon, that he left. We haven't heard from him, either."

Harry didn't know what to say, as family wasn't his greatest strength. Nor had he met Hoenheim before; he'd only read about the man in some of the books, seen some pictures, or heard stories of him back when Edward spoke kindly of him when Harry first arrived at the Elric stead.

"You don't think…he's…you know…dead…do you?" Alphonse asked meekly.

Edward snorted. "Somehow, I get the feeling that the old man wouldn't die that easily."

"Maybe," Harry ventured, "he's like you and gets so caught up in his work that he forgets about the world around him."

"For almost four years? My little bouts last hours, at most." Edward shook his head.

"You don't think he's coming back, then," Alphonse deadpanned with a frown.

Edward sighed and sat up. "I'm just say'n…that…if mom wanted to really go out with Remus…I'd be cool with it."

"Ed!" Al pushed himself to a seated position with a scandalized expression.

Harry, too, sat up, but mostly out of curiosity. "Didn't you say you still feel that strange feeling when you Probe him?"

"Oh, he's hide'n something, alright, and I won't be one-hundred percent okay with it all till I know what that is…" Edward nodded to Harry. "…but I want mom to be happy. Even if he hadn't found anything, the old man still sent letters monthly. Then, they stopped coming, and nobody has any bloody clue where he is."

What he wouldn't say aloud was that Hoenheim wasn't exactly a 'hands on' sort of father. Wise, yes. Knowledgeable, yes. But fatherly? Not so much. Typically, it was Trisha that did things for the boys, while Hoenheim locked himself in his study or worked day in and out. The man had even continued working on some mystery project when Trisha had fallen ill.

Edward wasn't stupid…he knew that, if he and Alphonse hadn't completed Hoenheim's work and deciphered the notes, their mother would have died. When he was younger, he was led by blind faith in his father, because he was at least _there_.

Now, however, he could look back and see that the man was reluctant, and a workaholic.

"I'd be fine with Remus as a dad. Harry'd like it, too, right?" Edward looked at the surprised boy.

"Erm…well, I like him…and he was dad's friend…" Harry stammered.

Alphonse worried his lip. "I don't like this talk. Dad will come back, and mom's not in love with Remus. They're just friends." Before his brother could argue it, he said, "I think it's getting cold. We should go in."

Edward opened his mouth, then closed it with a frown and, with Harry, helped Alphonse back into his wheelchair.

Harry knew, with one glance at Edward, that the boy wasn't about to stop thinking about it, and honestly, the bespectacled youth couldn't blame him.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	8. The Parselmouth

Neither Harry Potter nor Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to me. If they did…well, this would be animated, in the least.

_/blah blah/_ is talking in Parseltongue.

...and, of course, ff.n once again screwed up the double slashes as well as the italics. -_-

* * *

Chapter 8: The Parselmouth

The topic of Remus and Hoenheim, or fathers in general, didn't come up too often, as Edward seemed to understand that it made Alphonse upset, and Harry uneasy (since Harry had just found out information about his parents recently).

School went great for Harry; he was able to actually do what was expected of him without fear of being shouted at. Rather, Trisha gushed over his first 'A' paper, just like she did for Edward and Alphonse.

Harry had even blushed when she commented on it, and Edward had snickered at how red Harry's face had turned.

_"What are the chances of having **three** geniuses in one house, eh?"_

For Harry and Edward, they knew that this was their last year at school before they went on to learn their magical education (sans what they learned from alchemy books), but that didn't stop them from doing their best.

Winry was in their grade, too, and would also be going to Hogwarts come next fall, and she seemed relieved that the boys (especially Edward) weren't skiving off.

That didn't stop the two, plus Alphonse, from goofing around after school. They played video games, practiced alchemy, did research to try and find a hint of a cure for Alphonse's condition (and attempted to get into the basement quite a few times, which resulted in Trisha having to mutter counter-curses on them occasionally), continued with their martial arts, and went fishing.

Fishing was one of their favorite activities to do, and now that the weather was getting warmer, it was even more fun since two of the three boys could take off their shoes and socks to walk in the water a bit. When Winry was with them, she would do it, too.

They offered it for Alphonse even though he couldn't feel it, but he declined. That didn't stop Edward from gently splashing his brother now and then to make sure he still felt included. In response, Alphonse would threaten to transmute the lake to dump its contents on his brother's head.

Today, they were at their popular fishing spot, and for once, were the only ones there. Sometimes, adults and other kids went fishing, since there was little else to do in a town like Risembool.

They would later be grateful that it was just them at the fishing spot.

* * *

"You're going to scare the fish!" Alphonse warned his brother, who had tromped through the water.

Rolling up his pants and taking shoes and socks off revealed the brace, so he only did it in the presence of people he knew to be magical or the other three kids with him, since muggles would wonder why his brace was embedded in his skin if they saw his ankle, foot, or knee.

Edward just stuck his tongue out. "I won't scare the fish."

Harry, who stood in the water up to his ankles, chuckled as he held his line. "Not so sure about that, Ed."

Edward was about to respond, when Winry screamed.

The three boys instantly turned and moved over to where she had backed up onto the bank and fallen on her backside.

It was obvious to see what the cause of her distress was; a small, brown-black snake that was poised in front of her, looking as if it were ready to strike. Tears were in Winry's eyes, but she didn't make any further move to get away from the snake, since she knew it could dart out and bite her faster than she could get away from it.

"Water snake…" Edward cursed and knelt down slowly to the ground, hands apart and ready to clap to activate his alchemy to trap it in a cocoon of rock from the ground when he heard the strangest sound.

It was a hiss…and it came from _behind him_.

Alphonse's eyes were wide as he stared at Harry, who had just _hissed_.

Harry was focused completely on the snake. He didn't know why he had the urge to tell the snake to _stop_, he just did.

Oddly enough, the snake paused, and its head swiveled around to face Edward, Harry, and Alphonse.

Edward glanced over in shock when Harry stopped next to him and hissed again, though Harry wasn't aware of it.

_/Don't attack her./_

The water snake curled a bit, then extended its neck indignantly. _/She intruded on my hunting space./_

Harry shook his head. _/She didn't mean to. She's my friend, so please don't hurt her./_

_/I want an apology./_

Harry turned to Winry to see if the girl was going to apologize, but Winry just stared between Harry and the snake with wide eyes.

So, Harry took it into his own hands._ /She's too frightened to apologize, but I can tell that she's sorry she disturbed your hunt./_

The snake seemed to eye Harry as if gauging if he was telling the truth or not. Finally, the snake gave a little nod of its head. _/Very well. I can't eat humans, anyway, so attacking her would be of little value to me. I've never spoken to a human before, so out of respect for a human that can speak our language, I will, indeed, retreat. However, it would be best if she didn't intrude again on the cropping of rocks off to the side by the tall grass./_

Harry nodded._ /I'll tell her. Thanks./_

The water snake bobbed its head, then turned and slunk back into the water, where it headed towards said hunting ground.

Harry turned to Winry. "So, there you have it…"

"Have _what_?" Winry stared at him as if he were a ghost.

Harry blinked in confusion. "He said not to disturb that area over there…"

Winry barely glanced in the direction Harry had pointed in. Rather, her frightened gaze was now on him as she shakily got to her feet. "You were _talking _with it. You're a _Parselmouth_."

Harry wasn't any more enlightened than he had been a moment ago. "I'm a what?"

Edward stood up, slightly stunned, and turned to his cousin. "Parselmouth. It's what people who can speak Parseltongue, the language of snakes, is referred to as."

Harry looked around at the wide eyes of Winry and Alphonse, then the awe on the face of Edward. He inched a little closer to Edward, since the boy was the only one that didn't stare at him like he had grown another head.

Frankly, Harry hated that look; it was akin to the look he got at the Dursley's…like he was some kind of freak, or something dangerous.

Harry looked at the ground to avoid seeing the faces of Winry and Alphonse, then flushed a bit and mumbled, "…don't see what the big deal is. I'm sure loads of people can do it…"

Edward shook his head, then gestured for the boy to take a seat as he plopped down on the ground.

Alphonse and Winry kept their distance.

Harry blinked away tears and hoped that he hadn't just somehow ruined his friendship with Winry and relation with Alphonse as he sat in front of Edward.

"Mom told you bout the houses, right?" Edward started off, not a hint of anger or fear in his voice. His eyes were serious and penetrating, but they lacked the fear and hesitance that the other two kids had, so Harry found himself feeling a bit more at ease, at least.

Harry nodded.

"You remember what she said bout Slytherin house, right? How their symbol is a snake. That's cause the founder of Slytherin, Salazar Slytherin, was a Parselmouth. Supposedly, only descendents of Slytherin had the ability to speak to snakes."

"Then, why is it so…" Harry glanced up uneasily at Winry and Alphonse, then quickly looked back at Harry.

Edward frowned a moment, then turned around. "Win! Al! Gather up the fishing stuff, will ya?"

Alphonse scowled as his face regained some color. "Why us…?"

"Cause you're both acting like Harry's gonna bite you like that snake was about to do to Winry. Sides, I'm giving a small history lesson, here, so I'm busy."

Alphonse flushed a bit in embarrassment, but nodded. "Fine…"

Winry seemed more than happy to join Alphonse in gathering the equipment.

Edward turned to Harry and offered a small smile. "Sorry bout that. They'll come around, but it's reasonable for them to be shocked. See, sides Slytherin, the most famous Parselmouth was…well…Voldemort."

Harry's eyes widened.

"Some folks might say you're a descendent of Slytherin if they heard you talk'n to snakes, or related to Voldemort…"

"That's ridiculous!" Harry's voice came out almost frantically. "I can't be related to Voldemort…I mean…my parents were…"

Edward put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Hey, don't freak out on me! I'm no good with handling high level of emotions, ya know."

Harry managed to calm down a bit at Edward's half joke, though his hands still shook in his lap.

"I know you ain't related to Voldemort, else he wouldn't have tried to off ya. We can ask Remus bout your folks but I doubt the Potters are descendants of Slytherin."

Harry looked up tearfully. "Then why can I talk to snakes?"

Edward shrugged. "Dunno. I'm not even sure where Parseltongue came into being, or why Slytherin was able to talk to snakes. Maybe it's some genetic mutation, or magical gift. Huh…maybe there's a book bout it in the study…"

Harry shifted.

Edward shook himself a bit to get on topic. "Anyway, we can floo Remus if you're that worried bout it, and check to see if there are any books on why people can talk to snakes. After the shock, I think it's cool. Alphonse will come around, and after we explain it a bit to Winry, I'm sure she will, too."

The oldest Elric paused, then leaned in to whisper, "Winry's parents fought in the war as healers, so that's probably why she was so freaked about it. She doesn't hate you…she just doesn't understand what's going on. She had the same reaction when she first saw Al and I do alchemy. We were make'n a birthday present for her, and wanted her to see it, cause we thought it was a cool process…she screamed and started to cry."

Harry's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. But, as you can see, she likes us, hangs around with us, and is fine with the concept of alchemy. So, she's just shocked and needs it explained. She's super smart when it comes to science and automail, and I bet she'd rock at Charms, but she doesn't take well to surprises."

Harry relaxed a bit after that.

Edward stood up and smiled as he held his hand out. "C'mon. Let the fraidy-cats carry our stuff back…"

"I head that, Ed!" Alphonse shouted from somewhere behind him.

Edward snickered, but helped Harry up. "We should put our trainers on, and then we can go floo Remus. Kay?"

Harry smiled, feeling somewhat relieved. "Kay."

Edward beamed and hopped around to put his socks on, while Harry did likewise. When the two were done, they joined up with Alphonse and Winry. Winry seemed a bit cautious of Harry, but also looked a little guilty at reacting the way she had, and by the time they reached the Rockbell house, she was just about groveling with apologies.

"It's…it's okay…" Harry stammered.

Winry wiped her eyes and looked at the boy. "I just…my parents had to fight in addition to being healers, and…it's such an uncommon gift, and…you'd best keep it a secret, you know! Others…they probably won't even sit down to listen."

"So, you're cool with it? I know Al is…" Edward glanced at his brother.

Alphonse gave Harry a shy smile. "Sorry about that, Harry. Just took me by surprise. You're still Harry."

"Thanks." Harry meant it, too. He could see the regret on Alphonse's face at reacting the way he had, and knew that the boy really didn't mind the ability now that he had gotten over the shock.

"Come have dinner with us, Win," Edward said to the girl. "Bring your folks and gran."

Winry looked surprised, then suddenly understood and blushed. "How about if I just talk to them about it?"

Edward considered, then nodded with a smile. "That works. But promise you will! I won't have ya look'n at Harry like you did earlier!"

Winry shook Edward's hand. "Deal!"

Edward nudged her a bit to prompt her again.

Winry blushed and turned to Harry. "Um…I'm sorry for acting how I did. Really. I'll talk to my mum and dad about it, and gran…and thanks for saving me from the snake. I don't know what you said to it, but you obviously stopped it from attacking. We've had problems with water snakes before. Ed usually just traps them in rock prisons for a while, then frees them again when we're a safe distance away."

Harry grinned a bit. "Well, I don't think that'll be a problem anymore."

Winry flushed and nodded.

Edward tugged on Harry's arm. "C'mon. Let's go tell mom and floo Remus so you can sleep tonight. Any problems, and you're welcome to sleep with us, mind you. Al's cool with it, remember."

Alphonse nodded with a smile as they headed up the hill towards their house.

Harry let out a breath of relief. They didn't hate him, and Edward had been patient in understanding. He knew he had surprised even the elder Elric, but Edward seemed to have this wisdom that was beyond his age at times. This was one of those instances that it shone, and Harry was suddenly very grateful that Edward had them.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	9. The Full Probe

When I think of a witty disclaimer, I'll put it here. Instead, just figure that this is your standard disclaimer line.

Probing is finally explained in this chapter, for those that were waiting for it. ^^

* * *

Chapter 9: The Full Probe

Winry, indeed, did come around, and a couple days later, had been treating Harry no differently than she had when they first met. Remus had assured Harry that he wasn't the descendant of Salazar Slytherin, as well. Though Remus had been surprised at the news Harry was a Parselmouth, he also took on a speculative look and said he would look into it.

Remus was a frequent visitor at the Elric house, and nobody minded. Though, Alphonse was a little reluctant around him after Edward's occasional talk about how he wouldn't mind having a guy like Remus for a father, the boy otherwise liked the man.

It was one day, near Harry's birthday and when they would be going to Diagon Alley again to get them fitted for robes, that Remus finally had a breakthrough with the Parseltongue.

Harry's birthday had been small, since the boy still disliked a lot of people staring at him. They decided to have it 'privately', and the only guest was Winry (and Remus, of course), as well as the Curtis family.

Izumi was an alchemist, and came from a muggle family. Thus, she hadn't entered Hogwarts. Rather, she was self-taught. Her husband was as muggle as could get. She was friendly towards Remus, at least, which was a relief to the kids.

The kids were supervised as they flew on children's brooms in the backyard, and eagerly showed Remus their favorite fishing spot. Edward also pointed out the basement, but Remus seemed to know the boy's intentions and just chuckled.

"I'm not going to help you break into your father's basement. He's sealed it for a reason, I believe." Remus grinned.

Edward pouted, but left it alone. Truth be told, he had almost worked through all of the wards in the room with the help of Alphonse and Harry, but the boys kept that a secret.

Remus indicated for the kids to have a seat in the living room. "I thought about it and looked it up, and I believe that the reason Harry can talk to snakes is because Voldemort can."

The boys and Winry blinked.

"Huh?" Edward was the first to break the silence.

Remus tapped a finger to his knee for a moment, then spoke again, "It's believed by some that, on the night Voldemort was destroyed, he accidentally transferred some of his power to you, Harry, in his attempt on your life."

Harry's eyes widened behind his glasses.

"Woa…" Alphonse whispered in awe, and Winry could only stare in shock.  
Edward, however, thought a little more on it, and for once, carefully thought of what he was going to say before he said it. "But…if he transferred some of his power into Harry…wouldn't that be the equivalent of transferring some of his essence?"

Remus took on a thoughtful look. "I hadn't thought of it that way. Doubtful, since in order to do that…well, I'm not sure how he could do that. It was true that he was seeking ways of being immortal, but…"

"I'm not going to…turn into him…am I?" Harry asked, pale faced.

Remus shook his head. "Goodness, no!"

The other adults, Trisha, Izumi, and Sig, were in the kitchen, supposedly having tea, but their silence made it obvious that they were listening in.

"That's cool, then," Alphonse chirped. "He accidentally made you stronger!"

"Yea…" Harry wasn't so sure he shared Alphonse's enthusiasm for having some of the powers of a Dark Wizard…particularly, the one that had killed his parents.

It didn't help that Edward still had that perpetual frown on his face, either, and the intense look in his eyes meant that he was thinking hard about something.

Winry smiled at Harry. "I'm sure it doesn't mean anything, Harry. He made a goof. He…well…" the girl paused, then looked at Remus. "…You-Know-Who _was_ human at one point, wasn't he?"

Remus smiled tightly. "That's debatable, but from what I understand, yes. There are many definitions of the word 'monster', but biologically, he _was_ human."

Winry nodded, then finished talking to Harry. "See? Since he was human, and humans make mistakes, he just made a mistake, is all. Doesn't mean a thing."

Harry was a little comforted by her words, but his gaze focused on the silent boy in the room.

Remus, too, noticed it. "Something wrong, Edward?"

"I was just thinking…" Edward felt almost nervous about what he was about to ask. What if it came back with an unusual result? He still hadn't figured out what Remus' unusual aura meant, since the man assured them he wasn't critically ill or in danger of becoming such. Nor did he understand the darker aura he had felt briefly before Snape had closed himself off. Snape, himself, wasn't too dark…but there was something that lurked and intertwined with the aura that had made Edward want to shiver.

Remus' wasn't like that, but it was as if there was something…_feral_…under the surface.

What if he came up with something just as puzzling for Harry?

What if it made Harry worry?

Then, Edward countered his own concerns.

They needed to know. Perhaps it was something that could be fixed. His father's study was full of books on Old Magic. There wasn't anything about love and wards in it, but perhaps he could find an answer.

"Ed?" Harry frowned.

Edward sighed. "Harry…I know this is gonna sound weird, but…can I Probe you?"

Harry blinked, as did the rest of the room, in surprise. "You haven't, yet? I thought you usually do…"

Edward shrugged. "I Probe folks when I ain't sure of who they are. I had no reason to Probe you."

Alphonse fidgeted. "Why do you want to Probe him?" He was smart, and sometimes could follow his brother's logic. In this case, he could, as well…he just wanted to deny what his brother had in mind.

Winry looked confused. "Probe?"

Alphonse took a moment to whisper to her about it.

Remus' sharp eyes glanced towards Harry, slight worry in them.

Harry steeled his courage and nodded to Edward. "Yea. Go ahead. It'd confirm the theory that Voldemort…"

Winry shuddered, just as she had every time the name was mentioned.

"…accidentally gave me some of his power."

Edward nodded, then reached out with his alchemy. Probing was something he could do without a circle, and without even clapping his hands together to trigger the effect. A quick Probe could be done with his eyes open, and nobody would be any the wiser that he had done it (unless, like Snape, they were Occlumens and felt that someone was invading them).

Full Probes, however, were best done with his eyes closed.

Edward didn't just plan to Probe Harry with the full probe. He also planned on doing Remus in the hopes that it would reveal what he kept feeling. He liked Remus, and certain did believe all his talk about the man being a better father than Hoenheim. However, he couldn't put conviction into those words until he knew what Remus was hiding.

Since Remus didn't seem aware of when he was being Probed, and Edward had been told by his mother not to even lightly Probe someone without permission, Edward figured now was a good time.

"What's he doing?" Winry asked somewhere behind the cover of the darkness behind Edward's eyelids.

"A full Probe…we can get a lot more information with a full Probe, and sometimes, there are images that come with it…it's very difficult to explain," Alphonse answered to the best of his ability.

Edward decided to add something to hopefully disguise the second Probe he was going to do. "It's sometimes difficult to control, so if anyone feels a tingle or energy in the room, that's normal."

Alphonse nodded.

Remus made a humming noise of interest, but aside from that and the occasional tinkering in the kitchen, it was quiet.

Then, Edward concentrated. He knew a little more of what to expect from Remus, so he figured he would do the man, first. Harry, he was still a little afraid of what he might find.

He reached into his alchemic core, to the small Gate within him, and sent the energy around the room. If everyone felt a tingle before he Probed, then it would be less likely that he'd be questioned for Probing Remus without asking, first.

Then, he let the energy collect and move towards one of the high amounts of energies in the room; the one he knew to be Remus.

There were, as he had expected, layers. Layers were created by people with things to hide, or just private people. That, or those with more than one soul in their body, but the book said those cases were extremely rare.

The first layer was easy to get past. Since Remus wasn't an Occlumens, there were no wards or blocks to break past. So, with the protective layer down, Edward was free to explore the next one. He knew he had to be quick, else the tingle would leave the room and Harry would probably wonder why he wasn't feeling anything.

The second layer was another ward, and pulled back, as well, since there were no bars or locks on it.

The third layer was Remus Lupin, and the primary energy he had felt that day in Diagon Alley, and during Al's birthday party. It was a pleasant aura, actually, and he saw bursts of colors and images that also eluded to such.

However, there was a fourth layer, which was unusual. Adults often had one to two 'guard' layers before their own. Then, any normal person would have another, single layer. A child with no masks might have one 'guard' layer and their own layer.

With a small frown, since the power he felt from this layer was ominous, Edward proceeded to touch the final layer. It was dark and tainted…not evil, but not friendly, either. Suddenly, it was like he was staring into a pair of amber eyes, though he knew the layer couldn't be sentient…

…could it? Even people with multiple souls weren't supposed to be aware that they were being Probed.

This seemed to be more of an instinctive reaction, and Edward saw the looming outline of some sort of canine before it bared its teeth and snapped at him.

Everyone looked over when Edward squeaked and fell off the couch, trembling slightly.

"What?" Harry asked, worried that it was about him.

Edward resisted the urge to lose his lunch, as well as the urge to stare at Remus as he tried to reason with himself that there must be a good reason why he was thrown out by what appeared to be a wolf. His mind was adding up dates that Remus had been unable to visit, like some holidays where there was…

…a full moon.

No.

Edward wasn't going to think about it right now.

And if Remus was a werewolf, then so what? He was a nice fellow, after all. It just meant that Edward would be locking himself in the study. A man like Hoenheim _must _have some books with information on werewolves, since he had a few that detailed dark creatures and situations.

"Ed?" Harry worried his lip anxiously.

Edward smiled weakly and climbed back onto the chair. "Sorry…didn't get around to you yet, actually. There's a lot of magical energy in the room, and it makes it hard to find who is who and do a Probe…"

Alphonse gave him a _look_, since he knew better than to accept such a flimsy excuse, but since nobody else (save Izumi, whom Edward couldn't see at the moment) knew the true nature of Probing, they were satisfied.

"Okay. Sit next to me so I can find you easier, this time." Edward grinned and tried to get his face back to its normal color, since he was sure he had paled a few shades.

Had he glanced at Remus, he would have known that the man probably was aware that he had lied, because Remus looked slightly worried about something. No doubt, he had felt that it was he who was on the receiving end of the full Probe. A grown wizard would be able to feel the strange surge of magical energy that wasn't their own; someone less trained wouldn't know the difference.

Even though it was alchemical energy, it was still magic, nonetheless.

Harry did as instructed, and sat next to Edward.

Edward gave him a smile, then closed his eyes. _Okay…can't be as bad as that one…_

Again he sent out the tingle, then retracted it to coil around and find Harry.

Unsurprisingly, there was a guard layer on Harry. Most kids their age wouldn't have a guard layer; that was typically developed around the age of thirteen. However, those with troubled pasts were said to have a layer.

The layer was breached without any difficulty at all.

However, Edward wasn't prepared for what he found underneath. Once again, there were two more layers. One belonged to Harry, and conjured images that related to Harry's personality. The other, however, which was intermingling with Harry's own layer, was far more dark and sinister.

Fear nearly paralyzed Edward as he got a sudden image of a snake, then a skull…but he ploughed onwards. He had to know why there was another layer. If the layer had just assimilated with Harry's, there would only have been a single layer that conjured up quite a few different images.

Which was how it should have been if Voldemort had truly only accidentally transferred a bit of his own power. It should have been mixed into Harry's layer; it certainly shouldn't have had a layer of its own.

Alarmed, Edward continued onto that layer, and instantly reeled back. It was worse than being snapped at by the wolf layer in Remus. This was something that was so dark that, when he touched it, it reminded him of what it had been like to be kneeling in front of that large, looming Gate…to meet that corporeal figure behind one of the doors with the creepy grin…

No, this was something far, _far _worse.

This time, Edward hadn't even been aware that he had fallen off of the couch. The layer was filled with murderous intent, hatred, yearning for power, envy, greed, incredulity, and a foreboding feeling of something connected to it biding time and slithering around.

He was vaguely aware of someone, or a group of people, calling his name, but was, for some reason, unable to answer.

Bits and pieces of conversation floated to his consciousness, and he realized that he had blacked out from the information.

"…peaky."

That was Winry.

"He looks like he just faced a hoard of Dementors. Trisha, do you have any chocolate handy? I'm not quite sure it'll be of help from an alchemy backlash…"

Remus, that time.

"I haven't experienced an alchemy backlash in a long time. But I don't see why chocolate wouldn't help. There's something deeper than an alchemy backlash with a reaction like that."

Edward recognized that voice as belonging to Izumi.

There was a flurry of activity, and only then did Edward finally open his eyes.

"Ed!" The anxious voice of Alphonse cried out. "He's awake, everyone!"

Edward blinked and slowly sat up while he rubbed his head, which ached for some reason.

Izumi noticed, and glanced at Trisha. "You have any Pepper Up potions on hand?"

Trisha nodded, and handed something over to the martial arts master before she fled back into the kitchen, though she was obviously just as concerned as the others were.

"Ed! Oh my gosh, are you alright?" Winry looked positively spooked.

"What happened?" Edward inquired, then blinked when a square of something brown was handed to him.

"Here. Chocolate is great for a Dementor attack to fight the effects they cause. Not sure how well it will help, but perhaps it'll make a difference," Remus explained as he placed the piece of chocolate in Edward's hand.

"Yea, okay…" Edward glanced around after he popped it into his mouth. Everyone was in the room, and Trisha had just returned with a vial of a familiar potion in her hand.

It took a moment before Edward finally located Harry.

The boy was pale, and his eyes were red rimmed in an indication that he had been crying. He was seated on an armchair, and appeared as if he wanted to get up and go over, but Sig kept a beefy hand on Harry's shoulder to both prevent him and to comfort him.

Edward almost grinned. The first meeting between Harry and Sig had gone horribly, as Sig, though he was all muscle, was similarly proportioned to Vernon Dursley. After a year, though, Harry finally got past his fear, and found that Sig was a very kind, intelligent man.

Edward snapped his gaze to his mother after he downed the potion and felt his ears heat up from the side effect. "Alright, so is someone gonna tell me why everyone looks like they've seen a ghost? Considering what I just discovered, that should be _my _reaction."

"You just about started to have a fit," Izumi stated, concern laced in her stern voice as she gazed at her pupil. "Started shaking and screaming as you fell off the couch."

"Screaming? Huh…I don't remember screaming…" though, Edward did remember that he might have screamed in his mind at the red eyes and serpentine like face that had stared maliciously at him…

The eldest Elric shuddered.

"I'm sorry…" Harry finally spoke up. "I don't know what happened, but…"

Edward held up his hand. "Harry, mate, it sure as hell wasn't your fault."

Trisha clicked her tongue, but said nothing on Edward's language. Now that the boy seemed to be alright, everyone was settling onto chairs or couches once again.

Harry, released from Sig, took the spot next to Trisha, who now sat next to her son.

Trisha wrapped an arm around Harry, then took Edward's hand with her free one.

"What did you see?" Harry was almost afraid to ask, but he had to know. He was somewhat familiar with Probing, so to see such a violent reaction to one, which the boys never encountered before, was greatly disturbing.

Edward took a deep breath, then let it out. Well, this was a bit of a sticky situation.

How was he supposed to say that he had seen an essence that was undoubtedly of Voldemort without scaring the hell out of Harry?

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	10. Snakes and Wolves

Don't own, don't own, don't own!

…so don't sue! ^^;;

...ff.n is picking and choosing what words it keeps italicized. This time, it picked the last italicized word of the chapter, and undid the rest. -_-

I wasn't sure what to make Remus' Patronus, and I didn't want to go with the typical wolf that seems to be everywhere else. A Patronus reflects on the person that conjured it, or a preferred animal (or if someone had strong feelings for another person). I doubt, after being a werewolf, Remus would be too thrilled to have a wolf as his Patronus.

So, I looked up Animal meanings, and came across a page on Totem Animals. I debated between a couple of them before I chose his Patronus, which is a symbol of innocence, companionship, and trust.

* * *

Chapter 10: Snakes and Wolves

Edward glanced meaningfully at his mother for a moment, then turned back to the group. There was much he had to discuss with the adults. He couldn't give the full story to Harry. He just _couldn't_. He felt bad that he would have to lie to Harry…

Or would he?

Edward frowned. _I should tell him. He's been lied to for half his life. It's not fair if I lie to him, too. He'd eventually find out I'm lying, and I wanna research how it's possible to have a part of another human in him…he'd see and ask, and I wouldn't be able to lie to him cause he's family._

"Ed?" Harry asked worriedly.

Edward sighed and ran a hand down his face. Then, he looked at his cousin with a solemn expression. "Harry…I'm gonna ask you this before I say anything. Do you want the truth? The full truth? Or do you want a half truth?"

Harry didn't even have to think about that. He had been lied to about magic until he was saved from the Dursley's, and wanted to know what was going on, especially if it concerned him. "Full truth."

Edward nearly groaned, but just closed his eyes wearily. He couldn't bear to look at his cousin when he delivered the news. "There's another layer. It has a small connection with your own, but otherwise, it's a separate entity."

Harry stiffened. He had a feeling he knew what that meant, and he didn't like the conclusions he was drawing.

"What…what do you mean?" Winry looked about ready to pass out between everything that had happened.

Edward steeled his courage and looked directly at Harry to show that this new revelation didn't change their relationship. "He's there. Not just his power. If it was just his power, then there would have been hints of it in your layer…your core. He had his own layer. That means…and, mind you, I have no damn _clue_…"

Nobody bothered to correct Edward on his language due to the severity of the situation.

"…how it's even _possible_, without having multiple personalities…but he's _there_."

"He?" Alphonse was almost afraid of the answer.

Edward clenched his jaw, then, despite the fact that it made Winry cringe, dished out the news. "Voldemort. I've never seen him or encountered him…but I knew it had to be him. I've never felt anything like that before. And…"

He couldn't say it. He couldn't tell Harry the other discovery he had made. He just _couldn't_. It wouldn't come out of his mouth. Due to how much Harry had paled from just saying that there was a piece of Voldemort in him…

"…yea." Edward finished lamely. He risked a glance around the room.

Remus had paled several shades less than healthy, and gripped the arms of the chair he was seated in so tight his knuckles were white.

Trisha looked shocked. She didn't truly understand alchemy, or Probing, but she knew that this could only be something bad.

Winry didn't completely understand; all she knew was that the rumors were true, and Voldemort accidentally put some of himself and his powers into Harry. She wasn't sure what to think about that. There was the incident with the snake, but otherwise, Harry was a nice and kind boy.

Alphonse was also pale, and kept looking between Edward and Harry as if he didn't believe it, and seemed to be waiting for his brother to say "fooled ya!". He knew about Probing, and about layers. He also knew what it meant for there to be a separate layer in someone that shouldn't have one. It meant that something wasn't right, in the least.

Sig was lost in the conversation, but the frown on his face indicated that he had some clue, at least, of what they were talking about (what with a witch for a wife), and could obviously feel the heavy atmosphere of the room.

Izumi was just as lost as Alphonse. Though she was an alchemist, Probing was something that the Elric brothers had discovered a year ago, and shared it with her. She probably knew even less about what Edward's discovery could mean, but she did get a feeling of foreboding. It certainly wasn't a good discovery, that was for sure.

Remus was the first to break the silence. "Are you sure, Edward?"

Edward nodded seriously. "Yea. Can't say I've ever seen the evil bastard, but it had to be him. I…" he paused and gulped down nausea. Of the group, Remus was the only one that had fought in the war. If there was anyone that could confirm the images to be Voldemort, it was him.

Finally, Edward focused on Remus. "Probing brings up images when done fully. I saw snakes and skulls. Flashes of colors…green, red, black…feelings of emotions that didn't belong to Harry. Hate, anger, frustration, greed…and at the end, before I was…"

_…before I was pushed out, cause the damn thing was actually sentient…had a mind of its own. It was alive, or connected to something…_

"…before I passed out or whatever…I saw…well, I think it used to be human. A man…humanoid. Mostly the face was the focal point. White, like he hadn't ever seen the sun…flat nose with snake-like slits for nostrils…and…horrible, slanted red eyes that seemed to burn like fire…"

Remus made a choking noise, and if possible, was even paler than before.

Some in the room figured that, if he hadn't been seated, he probably would have either collapsed or passed out.

"Remus?" Trisha inquired of the man that looked positively ill now.

"Was it…?" Izumi's sharp eyes were slightly haunted as she looked over at the man. She hadn't actively participated in the war for either side, but she was more than aware of what went on during it.

Remus had his head in his hand as he mumbled to himself.

"I'll get some tea." Trisha stood up after giving her son a hug, then gently squeezed Remus' shoulder before she left the room. She hadn't participated in the war, either, once she became pregnant with Edward. She had joined the Order of the Phoenix at first, since Hoenheim was part of it, but was talked into dropping out. She hadn't even had a single battle with a Death Eater, let alone with the Dark Lord, himself.

The kids all looked anxious, and Harry was on the verge of tears again as he slowly moved closer to Edward.

"It…doesn't change me, right?" Harry knew a little about Probing, since he could do it, as well. He'd never done a full Probe before, and after seeing one, wasn't too eager to try it.

At that, Edward seemed to come to life again, though he was still pale. "What? No! Course not! You're Harry! The dominant layer is Harry James Elric Potter! That…that _thing_…will _never _be you!"

Harry worried his lip. "But…I can speak Parseltongue…"

"That's cause the layer is bleeding into yours a bit. Not like it's trying to take over. More like…like it's accidentally _merging _with yours. None of the…well…" Edward paused.

_…none of the alive parts of it…_

"…none of the evil and nasty spots are the merging ones. Just abilities, really. I had to go past the merge to find the actual layer. It's not you, and it'll never be you," Edward concluded.

Harry still didn't look too convinced, as his face was almost as pale as Edward's. Finally, he turned to Remus, who seemed to have the most answers. "What does it mean? Is Ed right?"

Remus looked up, a tired expression on his face. "I believe so, Harry. I hate to say it, but I really haven't much experience with alchemy."

"But what does it _mean_? That I…I have a piece of that…that _monster_…in me?" Harry looked understandably horrified.

Edward looked up at him and found he couldn't lie to those wide, green eyes. Slowly, he nodded. "It's there." With that, he pointed at the scar on Harry's forehead. "That's the highest level of concentration of the layer. Layers typically envelop the entire body…"

Even the layer he had discovered in Remus, which he put on the back burner for now, had done the same, though it was fainter, as if it only appeared once in a while.

Edward ploughed on. "…but yours…that layer, I found after a search. I had to search for the source of the power merging, and that's when I found the layer. It was…all except the power merging, it was like it was in a prison cell in the shape of your scar."

Harry reached up to touch his scar, then pulled his hand back as if he would be burned or possessed by doing so.

Winry sniffled. Out of everyone in the room, she probably understood both alchemy and the situation the least. Sure, she grew up around alchemy due to the Elrics moving in when they were little, and actually showing her on her birthday, but that didn't mean she _understood _it. Had it been that easy to understand and use alchemy, every wizard and witch would be doing it.

Izumi glanced at her husband, who nodded.

Sig stood up. "Perhaps Alphonse would like to fly a bit? With Winry's help, we can get him on a broom."

"But…" Alphonse started.

The protest was interrupted by Izumi's intense stare.

Alphonse sighed, and wheeled himself towards the door. "Come on, Winry."

Winry was more than happy to leave the room. Between seeing Edward just about have a fit, then learn that a piece of the most evil wizard that had existed could be inside of Harry, she didn't wish to spend more time there.

Sig accompanied the kids to the backyard just as Trisha came back in with some tea and handed it out to everyone.

"Peppermint Chamomile…good choice." Izumi took Winry's vacated seat, as she had been standing through the entire conversation so far.

Remus nodded his consent, and took a sip almost immediately.

"What does it _mean_, Ed?" Trisha asked her son.

Edward shrugged helplessly as he stared into his cup. "Dunno. There are books in dad's study about auras and all, but…there's nothing about finding a living layer that doesn't belong to someone unless that someone has multiple personalities…or more than one soul in their body. In the case of the latter, the souls often conflict for dominance in a body, and Harry certainly hasn't shown any sign of that. Whatever it means, it's such a small piece. Like…like only a _piece _of a soul. Dunno if that makes sense."

Harry shook his head, still trying to make sense of _all _of it. To be told that he didn't just have the abilities, but a _piece _of that filthy thing's _soul _in him…it made him feel sick.

Trisha took her seat back between the two boys, and looked from Izumi and Remus with a hopeless expression.

Izumi shook her head. This was a part of alchemy that the Elric brothers (and Harry) knew more about than her. As for more than one soul in a body, she hadn't a clue, either. She had some books, yes, but not some of the darker books that littered Hoenheim's shelves. It worried her a bit to know that Edward and Alphonse had access to such books, but she figured that the access wasn't easy to obtain.

Remus, however, did have an idea. "Dumbledore."

Trisha glanced up at him with a hopeful look.

Izumi had heard of Dumbledore, since he was a prominent name in the war, but had never met him since she hadn't attended Hogwarts nor fought in the war.

Harry and Edward, who had only heard of the man through stories from Remus, exchanged looks across Trisha. Remus had said Dumbledore was a powerful and intelligent wizard; probably the best there was.

"Can you contact him?" Trisha asked in a worried tone. "It's the summer…I doubt he lives in the castle all year…"

Remus thought about it. There was an option…it was how the Order sent messages to each other during the war. However, he had no idea how far it could actually go.

On the other hand, it was worth a try, in the least.

"Yes. I'm not sure it'll work, but there might be a way." Remus took a couple more sips of the tea as he tried to calm himself down and think of a happy thought.

Everyone watched as he pulled out his wand and mumbled something in Latin; obviously a spell.

With a flick of his wand, a silver-white apparition appeared from it that resembled a porcupine.

The thing instantly bounded through the wall and vanished from sight.

"What was that?" It was Harry that asked, though Edward had stared in wonder.

"A Patronus Charm," Remus responded as he pocketed his wand. "It's typically used to fight against dark creatures such as Dementors and Lethifolds. However, and I hope that you kids can keep this a secret…"

Harry and Edward nodded, then held up their hands to show that they hadn't crossed their fingers.

Remus nodded with a small smile. "Trisha might remember…the Patronus was used by members that opposed Voldemort to send messages to each other."

Edward instantly understood. "So, you sent a message to Dumbledore with that?"

Remus nodded.

"Why a porcupine?" Izumi, who had never cast nor seen a Patronus charm, inquired.

Remus flushed a bit. "I…had expected it to be something else when I first learned it, to be honest. However, after some research, I found that the charm reflects on the user's personality. I…rather thought I'd wind up with something else…"

"A wolf?" the words were out of Edward's mouth before he had time to think about it.

Remus instantly glanced over at him with a contemplative, and perhaps a worried, look.

Edward blushed and looked back at his tea. He hadn't meant to say that…Harry's problem was more important, though he figured that they might be able to solve it if they could breach the wards to the basement…

It was a good conversational tangent, and distraction. Edward looked up. "Hey, I realized…the old man might have something on Harry's predicament. Maybe in the basement. There are wards there, but I'm sure adults would have no problem getting through them…"

He didn't mention that he, Harry, and Alphonse were already halfway through the wards, themselves.

"Interesting idea, and don't try to change the subject." Trisha knew a diversion when she saw one, particularly from Edward, who was always trying to skirt trouble.

Edward flushed.

"You Probed me, I take it." It wasn't a question from Remus, but rather, a statement.

Edward turned red and couldn't seem to look at the man.

"Edward!" Trisha gasped in shock. Then, she frowned at her son. "What did I tell you about Probing without permission!"

"I…I'm sorry I did it without permission…" Edward shifted nervously.

"Why did you do that?" even Izumi didn't sound very happy about it.

There were a couple reasons why he had done it, so he went with the one that wouldn't make it seem like he was just trying to pry or solve a great mystery.

"I…well, we like Remus…" Edward nodded to Harry, then looked back at his tea as if it had the answers. "And…I couldn't shake that feeling I'd gotten when I first Probed him. I know he said everything was okay with him, but…"

This time, Edward looked up at Remus despite his guilt. "Harry really likes you…_I_ like you. Al likes you…I…we…well, all of us just can't help but worry when there's something odd that comes back in a Probe."

"And?" Trisha knew when her son was hiding something.

Edward groaned. "…and, I wanted to make sure it wasn't dangerous or anyth'n, cause Harry's like a brother, even though he's technically my cousin."

Harry felt that warmth in his chest, and it was a welcome feeling after all the bad news from the first Probe. _Ed still likes me. Ed thinks of me as a brother…as close family._

Remus looked at Edward with a weary look, though his hands had once again gripped the armrests, which betrayed his nervousness. "I suppose…you have a question for me, then."

Edward bowed his head, then sighed and looked up. "You're a werewolf…right?"

Remus closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see anyone's reactions. He didn't hear anyone get up or run out the door, screaming, but that was only a small hope. Finally, he gave a nod.

Harry glanced at Edward. "Is that bad?"

Edward shrugged. "I dunno much about werewolves. Dad has some books on dark creatures, but I didn't read 'em all, yet. I can say this, though…it was a separate layer, buried way underneath the layer that was Remus."

Remus sighed and sat forward a bit. "Werewolves are dangerous creatures, indeed. Once a month, during the full moon, someone who carries the virus that causes Lycanthropy transforms into a beast. I hear there's a new potion out that can help transformed werewolves keep their minds, but when transformed without the potion, they don't know the difference between their best friend and prey."

There was a thoughtful silence in the room.

"Do you take the potion?" Izumi asked.

Remus looked down and picked at his frayed sleeve. "I'd like to, but…"

Everyone seemed to understand. By the way he was dressed, the potion obviously cost a lot of money, and he couldn't afford it.

Finally, Remus reluctantly looked up at the boys. Though he was an adult, he gave off the impression of a young child waiting for a verdict and preparing for rejection.

Harry and Edward exchanged a look, then nodded to each other.

"Doesn't matter," Harry was the first to speak.

"Yea," Edward agreed. "I take it you've been one for a while, right?"

A nod from Remus.

"Then, you know safety stuffs and precautions, right?"

Another nod.

Edward smiled. "No sweat, then! For one day out of a month, you're the wolf layer, but the rest of the time, you're Remus. And I liked what I saw in your layer, so it's fine with me!"

Harry put his tea down on the coffee table, then slid off the couch and went over to the stunned man. Then, he smiled and held out his arms. "You're still Uncle Moony."

Remus looked as if he were about to burst into tears, but rather, just set his own cup of tea aside and slid off the chair to embrace Harry. The 'Uncle Moony' bit had started when Remus told them a story of their Hogwarts nicknames, which seemed to spark a long forgotten memory that Harry had as a toddler of an 'Uncle Moony'.

Edward stood up as well after he put his own cup down, then ran over and all but jumped on both Harry and Remus to join in. "Yea! You're cool!"

Remus whispered a hoarse and thick 'thank you', then glanced past the boys at the adults.

Trisha had a smile on her face, and nodded her approval.

Izumi grinned, but there was also acceptance in it.

Remus couldn't help it when a couple tears slipped down his cheeks.

The boys noticed, but said nothing. There was nothing _to_ say, after all. The emotions in the small room were all that was needed.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	11. A Human Horcrux

Disclaimer goes here.

This chapter is a bit longer than the others, but I couldn't find a good spot to break it into two shorter chapters, so I just left it as-is.

* * *

Chapter 11: A Human Horcrux

While waiting for Dumbledore's reply, Trisha had decided not to let this event ruin the birthday party.

"Wild party, huh?" Edward grinned weakly at Harry as they finished up some cake.

"I'd say 'wild' doesn't even begin to describe it," Harry replied.

To the surprise of the boys, Winry had opted to stay even with the chaos that had happened earlier.

_"Okay, yea, the snake thing freaked me out, but I'm not going to go running away, crying, this time."_

That had caused a few chuckles. Winry hadn't asked for any details upon time for the cake, but Alphonse kept trying to wheedle information out of his brother.

At least, until Izumi told him to drop it.

The only information they allowed was that, yes, Remus was a werewolf, and yes, there was a piece of Voldemort in Harry, and it was being taken care of.

Winry and Alphonse were perfectly fine with Remus being a werewolf. Winry appeared to be on information overload for the day, but just shrugged and said it didn't bother her.

"You mentioned some books of your father's before…" Trisha looked at Edward with a raised brow. "I'm not aware of these books you talked about."

Edward chuckled nervously. "They actually gave me the idea for Probing when they talked about alchemic auras. Uh…I guess you wanna see 'em?"

"I can't believe he would leave such things just laying around…" Trisha muttered, then sighed. "…then again, there were his notes on my illness…"

Edward and Alphonse exchanged guilty looks, along with Harry.

"Well…he didn't exactly leave them lying around…" Edward started hesitantly.

Alphonse fidgeted. "Not in plain sight, at least…"

"Explain." Izumi held no quarter in her tone.

Edward grinned sheepishly. "Well, ya see…we kinda wanted more advanced stuff, so…we broke the wards. It wasn't like it was the first time! That was how we completed the notes years ago! They were a bit stronger this time, but Al and I managed to crack them…"

Alphonse shook his head. "Oh, no! Don't drag me into this! I barely put a scratch on those wards! That was all _you_, Ed!"

"Wasn't _all _me!" Edward argued.

Trisha held up her hand for silence. "So, you're telling me that you two purposely broke the wards on your father's more advanced, and possibly dangerous, books?"

Edward and Alphonse looked at their now empty plates guiltily. "Yes'm."

Trisha sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"On your own?" Remus sounded a mix of being impressed and reproachful.

"Yea. Well, it wasn't like he was around to show us…" Edward muttered.

Alphonse shot his brother a warning look. Ever since the letters had stopped, their father had been a sore point of Edward's, and honestly, it scared Alphonse. Every time Edward talked bad about him, or mentioned how upset it made their mother, or started to point out that the man hadn't exactly acted like a father, anyway…it made Alphonse feel something he didn't like. Perhaps it was disappointment, but whatever it was, he didn't want to think about it. There was probably a legitimate reason their father hadn't written, and he just _had _to be alive.

Izumi made a noise that, too, sounded like Remus' tone. As if she didn't know whether to be impressed that they had figured so much out on their own, such as breaking alchemical wards, or verbally thrash them for breaking them in the first place.

"You two know that the wards were there to keep you _out_, right?" Trisha looked at her boys sternly.

"Yea…but we wanted to know more!" Edward complained. "The beginner books didn't cut it anymore! After…!" He cut himself off and looked away.

Alphonse, too, became tight lipped.

What they had seen that day they healed Trisha was between themselves and the Gate. Not even Harry was privy to the knowledge; all he knew was that they saw _something _that changed their entire outlook on alchemy and life.

Harry wasn't insulted that the boys didn't tell him what it was. He was curious, yes, but he could tell it was a sore point, and something that caused them slight confusion and a bit of fear. He was able to gather that their alchemic process to heal Trisha was probably complicated and borderline forbidden (if not completely forbidden), so they must have seen something when they were crippled.

The Boy-Who-Lived had already figured out that Alphonse's paralysis and Edward's bad leg were the results of whatever they had done. He also knew that they were trying to research ways of curing Alphonse's condition, and often helped them with it. He knew that they wouldn't go down the route of something forbidden again, else they would have tried it already.

Trisha sighed, which brought Harry back to the present. "I hope you two haven't broken the wards on the basement…"

"No…" Alphonse shook his head quickly as Edward mumbled something.

Remus nearly choked on his drink, since his above average hearing had picked up Edward's "not yet". He wondered if he should say something.

Harry, who also heard the muttering, looked down to hide a grin. This plan, he was in on, and wanted to see what was in the basement. It was probably something forbidden, but perhaps there were notes on a less than forbidden method of curing Alphonse. Time was running out if they wanted him to go to Hogwarts.

Sure, Dumbledore had apparently known Remus was a werewolf when he admitted him, something Remus explained to the kids, but it would be a lot harder to accommodate a student that couldn't make use of their legs.

"Good." Trisha, apparently, didn't hear what Edward had mumbled, and since both Remus and Harry said nothing, she was none the wiser.

The boys were saved further lecture when a silvery white bird, which they were told later on was a Phoenix, soared through the walls and into the room. It seemed to have some sort of communication with Remus, then vanished as if it had never been there before.

"A Patronus, again?" Harry asked.

Winry and Alphonse, who hadn't seen the Patronus the first time, looked up curiously.

Remus nodded. "Yes. Dumbledore is on his way, if that's alright, Trisha. I'm sorry to have interrupted the party to ask him to come…"

Trisha shook her head. "It was nobody's fault, Remus. And certainly, if anyone can clear up this little mystery, it would be Dumbledore."

Though his mother had said that, Edward still felt that a more solid and concrete answer lay behind the wards in the basement. Now, he had two reasons to breach the wards:

To cure Alphonse, and to find out just what his discovery about Harry's scar really meant.

* * *

Dumbledore arrived via the front door, in the most outlandish outfit that the kids, and everyone else in the room, had ever laid eyes on.

"I know the village is mixed with muggles, but…" Izumi eyed the red plaid pants and purple pinstripe jacket.

Edward cringed and turned to Harry. "Is he colorblind?"

Harry shrugged, equally as stunned with what Dumbledore was wearing.

Alphonse was trying to be polite, but his own eyes kept straying to the mismatched clothing that the old man wore.

Though she had wanted to stay, Winry was sent home when they received the return message since it wasn't a good idea to involve more people than necessary. That, and she already had a lot to think about.

Sig, too, made his way back home to manage the butcher shop since they would be having a wizarding discussion, and he was technically a muggle.

"Glad you got the message." Remus greeted Dumbledore with a handshake.

Dumbledore patted Remus on the shoulder with a grim smile. "Yes, and you have a right to be concerned. Even I wasn't aware of exactly what the scar could entail, though I had some guesses."

"Nice to see you again, sir." Trisha smiled. "Would you like some tea or cake? We were celebrating Harry's birthday…"

Dumbledore waved off the latter. "Tea would be nice, thank you, Trisha."

Trisha smiled, then paused. "You wouldn't have happened to hear anything about my husband, would you?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, I have not, unfortunately. Is he still searching for a cure?"

"I believe so, yes." Trisha nodded, then gestured to the living room. "Have a seat, sir. I'll get some tea."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes passed over Remus, whom he had already greeted, to meet with Izumi's. "Ah…you are…?"

"Izumi Curtis."

Dumbledore nodded with a smile. "Ah…yes, Minerva mentioned you a couple times. You teach the children martial arts, correct?"

Izumi inclined her head in a 'yes'. She was a stern woman, but even she could feel the power that radiated off of this man.

"Good, good…" Dumbledore continued his gaze around, and it fell on the children, whom he smiled at. "Ah, Harry…I didn't expect to see you for another month. Same with Edward."

Harry shuffled a bit nervously. From what he heard, this was the man that had sent him to the Dursley's…however, it was also the man that made the final decision to remove him from the Dursley's.

"Edward, you'll have to repeat everything to Dumbledore," Remus instructed the boy.

Edward frowned. "Everything? Like…every detail?"

Remus nodded solemnly. "Yes. Everything you got from that Probe you performed on Harry."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow as he took a seat. "Probe?"

Edward flushed, half in embarrassment and half in pride. "Al and I figured out how to use our alchemy to read the magical auras of other people! There's mention of auras in the books in the study, but we just sorta expanded on it."

"Very creative." Dumbledore complimented the brothers.

Alphonse chirped a shy 'thank you', while Edward rubbed his nose bashfully.

Even the kids could feel how powerful Dumbledore was, without a Probe.

"That's how they found out about the problem," Remus informed the old man. "Edward fully Probed Harry, and discovered the unusual presence that shouldn't have been there."

Again, Edward grinned bashfully, while Harry and Alphonse (and even Izumi) looked proud of the boy.

Trisha returned to the room with an extra cup of tea for Dumbledore, and set it down on the coffee table before she once again took up a position between Edward and Harry.

"Whenever you're ready…" Dumbledore gave a nod to Edward. "Just start at the beginning, lad."

Edward took a deep breath, then let it out. "Okay. There are layers in Probing…usually one or two shield layers, and then the 'core'. A person should only have one 'core'. To have more than one means that they either are sick, and it's the layer of the virus, have some sorta condition where there are two souls in one body…"

Remus gave a nod.

"…or…well, I'm not sure what Harry's means, because we've never seen it take over him. Even the two souls in one body…each layer fights for dominance, and there are times when one overpowers the other to comes to the surface. It wasn't like that with Harry's layer. It was more of that it was…trapped…in the area of his scar."

Dumbledore's smile dropped and he regarded the boy with absolute seriousness.

Edward shifted, then looked up. Remus seemed sure that this man could help and figure things out, and since they still hadn't been able to get to the basement, it was probably the best they were going to get. Since the man used the same method of communication as Remus, that meant that Dumbledore had been opposed to Voldemort, and even without a minor Probe, Edward could feel the old man's power.

That in mind, Edward began to explain what had happened during the Probe. Only, this time, he included the vital information that he had glossed over and hinted at before; that the presence was, indeed, alive.

* * *

Dumbledore had been more than surprised by Edward's story; it was obvious that even he, as powerful and wise as he was, had been absolutely shocked. Of course, the fact that Edward had invented this Probing was just the tip of the iceberg. After some thought, in which he had schooled himself back from a surprised expression, he asked that Remus and Trisha both discuss it with him, and the children should play outside. After a thought, he added that Izumi was welcome to join them since she had taught Edward for years, and now Harry, as well.

This found the kids outside, quite frustrated.

"It's not fair!" Harry complained, and pulled up some grass moodily. "It's about me, and they won't tell us anything! Dumbledore hadn't even spoken after the story!"

"I'd rather not hafta relive it again, so I'm glad he didn't ask questions…" Edward muttered. It was true; he really didn't have any desire to find that layer again or need to describe it.

"It is a bit unfair," Alphonse agreed with Harry. "And too bad we can't go inside until they're done talking. They'd know and all…"

Harry sulked. "But I want to know…they'll be keeping it from us. Because we're 'kids'."

Edward and Alphonse nodded in agreement. Being years ahead of their age, they were often frustrated with how people treated them like little children. Not that they disliked being able to play with each other and go fishing, but all three boys on the lawn had scars on their souls that had forced them to grow up quickly.

Thus, they wished to not be treated like Winry, who had no scars or upsetting parts in her past, and instead, be included in decision; particularly ones that had to do with them.

Edward suddenly perked up. "Who said we needta go inside to listen?"

Alphonse gave him a curious look, and Harry perked up.

Edward grinned and clapped his hands. "Let's do this…"

The ground glowed, and a pipe sprung up from under the ground, then curved and angled so that they could hear from it.

Alphonse opened his mouth to comment, as his brother had obviously rigged the pipe inside to do the same, but Edward put a finger to his lips.

Harry understood; the pipe went both ways. If the kids could hear the adults, then the adults had a chance of hearing the kids. By the far off sound of the voices, Edward obviously hadn't risked using the pipes from the same room the adults were in, but close enough so that they could hear.

All three boys crowded around the pipe, with Alphonse positioned with his back to the house so the pipe was surrounded by them in the off chance that an adult looked out the window.

* * *

"…had no idea Edward could do such a thing until recently, but I suppose it came in handy this once," Trisha was saying.

Dumbledore nodded gravely. "Much more than you can know. What your son's Probe revealed is nothing less than something mildly disturbing."

"Mildly?" Izumi raised an eyebrow. "I'd think that having a piece of the person that tried to kill you within a scar is a little more than 'mildly'."

* * *

Outside, the boys exchanged wry looks with each other.

No matter what the situation, Izumi was still frank and sarcastic with everyone, even someone as powerful as Dumbledore.

* * *

"I say 'mildly', because it's not surprising, considering the nature of Voldemort and his obsession with immortality." Dumbledore looked up at the martial arts teacher.

"What does it _mean_, though?" Remus, the practical one, inquired softly.

Dumbledore gave Remus a nod of approval. "Back on track, as usual, Remus. Well, I'd say that, if there truly is a piece of Voldemort inside of Harry, rather than just his power, the scar must be of another sort of nature."

"What kind? Can it hurt him?" Trisha asked worriedly.

Dumbledore shook his head 'no'. "It cannot hurt him. However, removing it will be quite a difficult task, and would be much easier if the essence had been in an inanimate object. If what I suspect is correct, then Harry was, most likely accidentally, made into a vessel to contain a piece of Voldemort's soul. You see, each time someone commits an act of murder, it cuts into their very soul."

Remus nodded in understanding, along with Izumi.

Trisha merely gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

"It's such a vile act, to murder, which is the reason," Dumbledore explained to Trisha, since the other two seemed to get the point immediately. His eyes, which still sparkled but held a high degree of seriousness now, focused on the rest of the room to address all of them. "Tell me…have any of you heard of a Horcrux?"

* * *

Alphonse, Harry, and Edward exchanged looks, as if to ask each other if they had heard of this 'Horcrux' thing.

Each shook their head in turn.

Edward pointed to the ground, then made a sign as if to clap his hands to do alchemy.

It didn't take long for Alphonse and Harry to understand the meaning.

_Hoenheim probably has books in the basement that might speak of it. It's probably something really dark._

Harry bit his lip, but relaxed slightly when Edward put an arm around his shoulders.

Edward gave Harry a nod, and Alphonse smiled at him despite the situation.

Harry managed to return the smile before the three once again listened for the explanation that was sure to follow.

* * *

Trisha and Izumi looked confused at the mention of the dark magic, but Remus' eyes had widened.

"You think…" Remus swallowed, unable to complete his sentence.

"You know what it is?" Izumi's intense gaze focused on Remus.

The werewolf wrung his hands nervously. "I've…often studied to combat the dark arts, particularly with being what I am. I came across the term in a very old book, which vanished shortly after I'd returned it, before the war."

"Probably the work of Voldemort, covering his tracks. I'm sure he tried to get rid of any books that might have eluded to what he had done," Dumbledore picked up the explanation.

"But what _did _he do?" Izumi was obviously getting impatient.

"And…what's a 'Horcrux'?" Trisha queried.

"A Horcrux," Dumbledore explained, "Is some of the darkest of magic out there. It's an item, usually inanimate, which typically holds some value to the user, in which the user can store a piece of their soul in."

At the confused looks, and since Remus had paled and seemed unable to articulate an explanation, Dumbledore continued.

"In other words, by committing acts of murder, Voldemort was able to split his soul into pieces, which probably led him even further down the path of madness, and store them in an object. So, in the event that he died, he wouldn't really be dead. As long as a piece of his soul lived on, he would still be alive."

Now, Trisha and Izumi could understand Remus' reaction to the word 'Horcrux'.

Izumi's own face paled, and she mumbled something about how immortality is a forbidden subject even for alchemists.

Trisha had paled a few shades as she gripped the arm of the couch as if for dear life while she made connections. "And…and you're saying…that Harry is…?"

"Yes."

Trisha closed her eyes tightly to prevent herself from passing out.

Izumi and Remus were faring no better, though Remus had already been slightly prepared since he was somewhat familiar with the term. His expertise was more on dark creatures than spells, but in research attempts both he and his parents had made to try and find a cure for his Lycanthropy, it meant they had to look in some shady books.

Horcruxes had been mentioned in one. Only briefly, but Remus had recalled how horrified he had been when he read the passage; it wasn't something he was about to forget.

* * *

On the lawn, it was probably Edward's grip on his shoulder that kept Harry from blacking out for a moment.

Alphonse had paled even further, and Edward's face was grim.

For Edward, it was only an explanation on what he had seen. In fact, it made a great deal of sense to him. However, the question remained in his mind:

How did one go about destroying it?

How could they safely remove the piece of Voldemort from Harry?

Edward knew that, if it had been in an inanimate object, a transmutation circle could have been drawn to separate the elements. Since it contained dark magic, the drawing of the circle would be needed, and would have to be done accordingly so the alchemist wouldn't be maimed or killed…

…but in another person?

If it was that simple, then people discovered to have more than one soul could be easily cured.

No…to remove another soul from a body would dabble greatly into human transmutation, which was forbidden. The only reason Edward and Alphonse didn't suffer more than they had, and the boys were well aware of this, was because they were only trying to use it to heal and not to do something like bring back the dead.

Separating souls would fall along the same lines of bringing back the dead. There were reports of people that had tried, but like bringing the dead back to life, there were no reports of successes. Rather, even some of the more advanced and darker books didn't reveal what happened to the alchemists.

Mostly, because a good lot of them vanished.

Edward was at a loss. He couldn't even figure out a way to cure Alphonse of his injury, and now there was the puzzle of what to do about Harry's scar.

Harry shifted, which alerted Edward to the fact that the adults were talking again.

* * *

"Is the scar the only one, though?" Remus had a contemplative look on his face.

"Most likely not. I would need to seek out an expert in magical numbers to try and determine the exact amount. That, or…" Dumbledore looked thoughtful.

"What?" Izumi half asked, half demanded.

"There's someone I know of that might be aware of it. I'm sure he knows about Horcruxes. Getting the information will be difficult, but I'll have to try."

The other adults nodded in agreement.

"How exactly can we safely remove it?" Trisha asked, her face pale.

Dumbledore sighed. "Alas, I wish I had a better answer for you. If it were an inanimate object, it would be easier. Fiendfyre or an extremely potent poison, such as basilisk venom, could melt and destroy the object and thus, the fragment of the soul inside would be destroyed. On a living thing, however…"

Trisha nearly choked on tears that she tried to hold back. "It…it would be deadly, wouldn't it…"

Dumbledore just nodded solemnly.

Remus rubbed his temples and mumbled to himself, mostly things like "there must be another way".

Dumbledore glanced at Izumi. "As it is not my area of expertise, but rather yours, is there any way you can think of that can remove this 'layer' from Harry without harming him in alchemy?"

Izumi sighed in defeat. "Safely? No. There are items that have been known to amplify alchemic processes, but they're so rare and expensive…not to mention that the most powerful of them have been destroyed, or don't exist any longer. Methods of creating them have also been lost. Even then, the safety of the alchemist can't be guaranteed. Removing a soul from a person…that's considered human transmutation, which is forbidden in alchemy."

Trisha bit her lip. "That the boys got off how they did just by targeting the illness within me…I can't image the repercussions for removing a soul."

Izumi nodded grimly. "Nobody has done anything resembling human transmutation and lived to tell the tale. What Ed and Al did was close to human transmutation, which makes them extremely lucky. I wouldn't even know where to start…"

Silence permeated the room, until it was broken when the door opened, and Edward ran into the room.

His face was pale, yet his eyes were piercing and set in determination. "The basement. There might be an answer in the basement."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	12. The Pariah

Disclaimer, disclaimer, disclaimer…

First, a big THANK YOU to everyone still following the story, and especially to the people who took the time to review. ^^

Second, Draco is different from canon in this story. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of Draco's character, but if it's looked at another way, he's really just someone that never outgrew "playground bully", and is only like that because of the way he was raised. So, to experiment, I took a variable out of the equation that influences his behavior, and wound up with the Draco in my story.

The trip to Hogwarts starts next chapter!

* * *

Chapter 12: The Pariah

Alphonse had been surprised when Edward suddenly put the pipe back where it belonged with alchemy.

Harry had been just as surprised, but he also noticed the determined expression on Edward's face when the boy sprung to his feet and ran to the door. Edward usually took on challenges by himself, and sometimes involved Alphonse with them; that was how they cured Trisha of her illness. Both boys had agreed that there was no time to call Hoenheim, and that the man was being too passive about it. No other adult would listen to them, so they had tried it, themselves.

This time, however, there were adults that had listened. Yes, they chased them out of the room to discuss the matter, but Dumbledore was powerful, Trisha was a mother to all of them, Izumi was strict but never ignored anything they said, and Remus had a deep understanding for all things.

If anyone could help them, it would be these people. Since only Izumi knew alchemy, it was even possible that they might let the kids aid them, but one way or another, Alphonse had to be healed, and that piece of Voldemort in Harry had to be destroyed without harming their cousin and brother.

Edward hadn't cared for any lecture he would get later on eavesdropping. He was fairly sure that, if the situation hadn't been so serious, his mother would have even known that they had done or were going to attempt to do it.

The punishment was of no consequence if they could find a solution to the problem.

That was why he had burst in on the meeting.

That was why he had opened his mouth.

That was why he had told them about the basement.

The adults, save perhaps Dumbledore, looked a tad shocked that Edward obviously had been listening in. One look at the faces of Alphonse and Harry, and they could easily discern that all three boys had somehow been listening in.

"He sealed the basement with a lot harder wards to break than the study. We've…been slowly chipping away at them, but we can only use alchemy, and I think some of those wards are from wand waving," Edward explained.

Harry came up to stand next to Edward. He was elated that his cousin was taking such a risk to let the adults know what they had been doing. Edward had not only just admitted that they'd been eavesdropping, but also about their attempts at getting to the secretes in the basement.

All for _him_.

Though, some might have been for Alphonse, as well…

Harry glanced at the younger boy.

Alphonse looked a bit guilty since they were now busted in terms of having listened in, but he, too, looked awed that Edward risked it. There was another emotion, too, which Harry was sure was surprise.

Harry could understand that, as he was only starting to trust adults again, and it was due to Trisha, Izumi, and most recently, Remus. Otherwise, he probably would have rather done things on his own. It appeared as if the Elric brothers had the same thought process of having a slight distrust of adults.

However, if Edward was willing to put that aside, and risk getting into trouble…

"We've all been trying," Harry added. He couldn't let Edward take the heat by himself, though he wasn't able to meet the shocked faces of the adults. "To get into the basement, that is. Even before we knew what we do now."

Alphonse blushed. "It was for me…Ed, then Harry, were certain that there might be something down there that could hint at a cure…I agreed, so I helped, as well. We…sort of listened in on the conversation just now, too."

Edward glanced at them, glad that they had his back, before he turned his attention once more on the adults. "None of the books in the study will help, but if the wards in the basement can be breached, then maybe something was left in there. We hadn't found any personal notes from him, so…"

Alphonse picked up on it, "…we've thought that dad would have stored his own notes and compilations in a place harder to get, especially after we were injured after reading and completing his previous notes to heal mom."

For a long moment, there was silence.

Then, Dumbledore stood up. "I believe, then, it would be helpful to attempt to try and find a way into the basement. Perhaps there is a method in there that could be of service. In the meantime, I will go have a chat with my colleague and see if I can't get information. Remus, I know it's a lot to ask, but if you could attempt to track down Hoenheim, that would be extremely helpful."

Remus stood up with a nod. "Of course."

Dumbledore looked at Trisha. "As you are fully competent with spells, I'll leave finding what sort of magical wards are on that basement to you…"

Izumi spoke as Dumbledore looked at her, "I'll try to help with the alchemy wards."

"Can we help?" Harry, Edward, and Alphonse asked at the same time. The three glanced at each other in slight amusement that they'd all had the same thought, then looked back at the adults with the smiles wiped from their faces.

Dumbledore seemed to think about it.

Izumi spoke up, "I'll make sure they don't go into the basement, but it might be good to have their help. Probing is a recent discovery, after all, and it was their father that put the wards up."

The old wizard finally conceded. "Very well. I don't see the harm in it if they are allowed to help with the research and detection process."

"No risks, kids," Trisha immediately told them. "This is very serious…and, yes, you three _will _be punished later for eavesdropping."

The three shuffled bashfully, but then nodded in agreement. A chance to help in adult affairs (though said affairs would effect one of them) in exchange for a small punishment? That was certainly fair.

With that agreement, Dumbledore and Remus left (after wishing Harry a happy birthday) to go do their end of the research, with the promise that they would stay in touch.

Izumi, Trisha headed towards the basement with Alphonse, Harry, and Edward in tow in order to determine what needed to be done to break the wards on the basement where their answers might lie.

* * *

There were plenty of magical and alchemy wards on the basement, which Trisha and Izumi promised the boys they would get to breaking.

For the moment, however, Alphonse was once again over with Winry while Edward and Harry were taken back to Diagon Alley to get their robes.

It was almost comical, and seemed downright silly that they were getting ready to go to school, when there was a piece of a Dark Lord inside of Harry.

The boys, however, tried to ignore it. They had been excited to go to Hogwarts, and with the encouragement of the adults, managed to bring back that excitement, particularly at the sight of Diagon Alley.

Even if they were going there for clothing.

The shop was called Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

It was a nicely sized establishment, and already had quite a customer base.

Harry, of course, wore his headband to hide his scar. Today, it was a green headband. Edward had gotten him a variety of headbands in different colors, along with the other presents he received for his birthday. So, in addition to the blue headband he'd had, Harry now had a red, yellow, orange, green, gray, and black headband. He even had a bright purple one, though that one had been a complete joke from Edward.

_"Give it to Dumbledore, then. He can wear it with that suit of his."_

It had the boys on the floor in laughter for five minutes straight, and even Trisha couldn't seem to find it in her to correct her son, as she had been fighting laughter, herself.

They had to be fitted for robes, which meant holding still on various platforms while a magical tape measure moved around them and seemed to remember their sizes.

There was a blond haired boy on one of the platforms in the area the other two boys were led to, who looked extremely bored to be there.

Edward sat nearby while Harry was told to step up to the free platform by a lady, then the tape measures got to work.

"First years?" the blond boy inquired of Harry and Edward.

"Yep. You?" Edward said between a yawn as Harry nodded in agreement.

"Yes. Been looking forward to it for quite some time. Not this part, though."

Harry snorted in amusement. "It _is _quite dull."

"Agreed!" Edward chorused.

The blond boy grinned. "What house do you two reckon you'll be in?"

Harry would have shrugged if the tape measure wasn't busy around him. "Don't know. My parents were in Gryffindor."

"My mom was in Hufflepuff. I dunno bout my…father…but there's no _way _he was in Hufflepuff." Edward frowned at the mention of his father.

The blond boy raised his head a bit. "Bit of a sore topic, fathers?"

"Only for him," Harry said for Edward.

"Well, I can't exactly say I don't understand."

Edward looked up in wonder. Though, he had enough tact not to ask why _this _boy seemed to dislike his father.

The blond boy, however, obviously either lacked the tact, or wasn't as mature as Edward was. "So, what did yours do, then? To make you hate him?"

Edward grunted.

Harry glanced between them, then looked at his cousin in concern.

Edward waved off Harry's concern with a look. After all, he still wished Remus was his father, werewolf or not. _Now there's an idea…maybe I can try to find a cure for Lycanthropy! Sure…tack that on…_

The other boy was about to take back his words since he had received no answer, when Edward surprised him.

"He all but walked out on the family. Supposedly to do research for a project, but stopped sending letters and contacting us for years. S'far as I know, he's dead. He was never there when we needed him, anyway." Edward's expression darkened.

Harry gulped, then tried to lighten the conversation. He never did like it when they got on the topic of Edward's father. His cousin seemed perfectly fine to discuss Harry's father, or wish Remus was his father, but when it came to mentioning Hoenheim himself…obviously, Edward was still sore about the situation.

It didn't help that Remus hadn't found any trace, yet, of the man's trail.

"My father wasn't the best, either. My mother got fed up with his…behavior…"

Harry glanced over sharply, as he knew the way the word was said meant that "behavior" indicated something nasty.

Like verbal or physical abuse…or even magical abuse, to either this boy or his family.

"…and slipped him some sort of truth serum. He's in Azkaban, now."

"Azkaban?" Harry questioned.

The boy glanced at him. "Wizarding prison."

"Oh…"

"You mu…muggleborns?" the boy seemed to correct himself mid-sentence.

"No. My mom was a muggleborn, but dad was pureblood," Harry responded.

"Same, I think. Either that, or he was half…not sure which." Edward shrugged.

A lady came over and took the measuring tape that had been going around the blond boy, then told him that he was finished, and directed Edward to stand on the platform.

Edward groaned, but did as he was told.

The blond boy seemed relieved to no longer have to stand there, but paused before he left. "I'm Draco Malfoy, by the way."

"Edward Elric."

"Harry Potter."

Draco's eyes widened. "Potter? _You're_ Potter? Oh…I see…clever. Covering your scar. That's cunning…Slytherin material. All my family was in Slytherin."

"It was Ed's idea, actually," Harry said humbly.

Edward shrugged, then glared at the tape measure when it actually seemed to reprimand him for moving.

Harry snickered, and Draco's lips curled into a grin.

A female voice called over the heads and conversation in the room for Draco.

The boy gave a nod to the two others. "I'll see you two on the train or at Hogwarts, then."

"Bye." Harry smiled.

"See ya!" Edward grinned.

When Draco left, the two boys glanced at each other.

"Not bad. Bit haughty, but not bad," Edward admitted.

Harry nodded, relieved that he wasn't reproached by the tape measure since it had apparently finished with him. He took a seat nearby. "Yea. Think Aunt Trisha knows about the Malfoy family?"

"Possibly. I like him, even if he's quite posh."

Harry snickered. Draco had, after all, given off a very regal air. "You…ya know…?"

Edward gave a nod, then once again scowled at the tape measure. He turned back to Harry. "He's very mixed up inside. Lotta dark feelings, but not evil. I think, if he finds the right friends, he'll heal. But, right now, he's not a bad person. Kind of got a 'fell from grace' sort of aura."

Harry bobbed his head. "That's the feeling I got. I'm willing to bet that if his father hadn't been sent to prison, though, he'd be much harder to deal with."

"Undoubtedly."

"You want to be his friend, then?"

"If you do, sure. I ain't afraid of him, and not all Slytherins are bad people, mom said. If he starts hanging around a bad crowd, I'd be careful, but otherwise, he seems alright."

Harry smiled. "Good. Cause I sort of like him. He didn't go crazy over my name. Just sort of incredulous and all."

Edward snickered. "Yea. Anyone else woulda gone nuts. S'why we have ya use that headband."

Harry hummed in agreement, then laughed at Edward's next statement.

"You gonna wear that purple one, at all?"

Perhaps it was alright to act their age now and then, and try to pretend that they didn't have a large threat looming over them.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	13. All Aboard the Hogwarts Express

Insert Disclaimer Here.

Oh, ff.n...why must you make my life harder and undo all the italics I use?

A note: The Dolphin Tavern is a real place in London, and isn't too far from Kings Cross Station. I checked a map of London and looked at nearby places to see if I could find some sort of location where wizards might use to get from their homes to Kings Cross. I would have used the Leaky Cauldron, but according to the map from the HP Lexicon, the Elrics would have had to take a bus from there to Kings Cross, and that just didn't fit the story.

* * *

Chapter 13: All Aboard the Hogwarts Express

To the disappointment of the boys, none of the wards had been really damaged or broken before they had to get to Kings Cross Station in order to board the Hogwarts Express. Even Izumi seemed to be having trouble with breaching the wards, and Trisha had let it slip that there were some pretty strong magical wards there, as well.

At least that explained why the boys hadn't been able to make much leeway on the wards. Without the counters for the wards, they could only disable the alchemy wards that were there.

Those thoughts were all but forcefully pushed from their minds as they stood in front of the fireplace at the Elric household.

Alphonse was going to accompany them, though he couldn't board the train, and since the Rockbell parents were busy, it was Pinako Rockbell that escorted Winry, though Trisha had offered to take the girl since she knew Pinako would be busy with the automail.

"Alright…here's how it works," Trisha explained to the children. "You know how floo travel works…"

Harry nearly chuckled as he exchanged grins with Edward, since the latter had taken to teaching Harry by just about invading the Rockbell household on numerous occasions.

"…the destination is 'The Dolphin Tavern, back room'. Be sure to include 'back room', else you'll wind up in the muggle area, and that would be a right mess."

The boys, and Winry, nodded.

The Elric fireplace was large enough for a wheelchair, luckily, so Alphonse was able to come with them.

"From there, it's just a short distance away to Kings Cross Station. We should be there in plenty of time."

Again, the kids nodded.

Pinako stepped up. "I'll go first, Trisha. Perhaps you'd like to bring up the rear?"

Trisha nodded. "Good idea. Alright, then."

Pinako grabbed a handful of floo powder and threw it into the fireplace. Then, when the flames turned green, she stepped in and said clearly, "The Dolphin Tavern, back room!"

In a flash of green, she was gone.

Edward and Harry had finished in a game of rock-paper-scissors to see who would go next.

Edward had won out, so he imitated Pinako, down to the facial expression.

This caused Harry, Alphonse, and Winry to laugh, though Trisha just sighed as Edward vanished into the flames.

Harry went next, and found himself being caught by both Edward and Pinako when he stumbled out of a fireplace in the backroom of a pub. "I'll never get used to floo travel."

"I hear ya on that," Edward agreed with a grin.

Harry scowled at the other boy as he fixed his glasses. "At least _you _land on your feet, though!"

Edward shrugged innocently, then reached out to catch Winry, who was the next one through.

"Not everyone lands on their feet," Winry muttered, as if she had known what they were talking about, then mumbled a "thanks" to Edward.

Alphonse came out next, and his wheelchair didn't tilt or fall. Rather, he just wheeled himself right out.

"I'd like to see ya keep that smug expression when we get your legs work'n again, Al."

Harry chuckled at Edward's mutters, since he knew that, though Edward boasted it, the elder Elric didn't often land on his feet, either.

A moment later, the fireplace flared up again, and Trisha stepped through.

"Is everyone here?" Trisha inquired as she did a head-check.

Nods went up from the kids.

"Good." Trisha reached into her pocket and pulled out three tiny rectangular objects, then set them on the ground and pulled out her wands. "Afraid you kids will have to drag your trunks along, now. Once we leave the back room, we'll be amongst muggles, and I can't exactly enlarge your trunks there."

The kids nodded in understanding as Trisha mumbled the incantation that caused their trunks to grow to their proper size.

Alphonse wheeled himself with the group, who were eager and anxious to get to Hogwarts. Though, since they were between the adults, they kept their voices down when it came to the basement.

"Give us updates, kay, Al?" Edward whispered to his brother, then patted him on the shoulder with a grin. "It's upta you!"

Alphonse fidgeted slightly. "Up…up to me?"

"Aw, come on…you're just as good, if not better, than sensei with alchemy. You've helped us chip away at those wards. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled and our ears open at Hogwarts, so you gotta do your part at home." Edward gave his younger brother a nod.

Alphonse glanced at Harry, who looked back at him hopefully, then smiled. "Okay. You can count on me!"

"Course we can!" Harry smiled.

"And if you find anything that can cure your legs, let us know, too!" Edward wiggled his finger at the boy.

Alphonse giggled. "Will do!"

Winry just rolled her eyes and sighed. She didn't mind the talk about magic, but alchemy was a topic that she still didn't understand, no matter how many times the boys explained it to her. She had been surprised, even when Harry had managed to pick up on the skill.

The walk to Kings Cross Station was spent in good spirits, despite what they knew was lurking beneath the surface. It was mostly a front on Edward and Harry's parts, as they were more determined than ever to fix Harry's problem (and Edward still hadn't given up on curing Alphonse), but Winry was downright excited since she had no large project hanging over her head.

There were plenty of cars pulled into Kings Cross Station, but they just walked around the cars and joined in the group of people headed into the station. Some people had children with them that toted trunks much like the ones the kids had, which meant they were most likely Hogwarts students.

"Okay, how could muggles _not _know what's going on?" Harry asked the question that grated on the minds of all four kids. "Seeing so many kids with similar trunks on their trolleys, and some with owl cages…?"

The other kids glanced at the two adults in question.

As a result, Pinako smirked. "You all live amongst muggles, and they haven't noticed a single thing about your alchemy, accidental magic, or anything else that goes on. They aren't aware of the magical side of automail, either. For them, automail is just a fancy name for our brand of prosthetics. Muggles don't notice a lot of things."

"Huh…" came the response, along with various other noises of semi-understanding.

"Now, here we are," Trisha declared as they stopped in front of a very solid, very real brick wall between the platforms that read "9" and "10".

Four pairs of incredulous eyes turned to the adults.

Pinako snorted a laugh. "Told you it would be amusing not to tell them."

Trisha had to chuckle. The boys had been more into solving the mystery of Harry's Horcrux, and how to get into the basement, that they had forgotten to ask just how they were getting onto this magical train called the Hogwarts Express. Winry, on the other hand, had been full of questions, none of which her parents nor Pinako had answered.

"So…what? Are we expected to wave our wands at the wall?" Edward deadpanned.

"Or use alchemy?" Harry blinked.

The adults laughed again, but kept their voices down.

"No, no…just walk straight through the wall," Trisha instructed.

Harry's jaw dropped.

"You know…if this wasn't something magical, I'd say that mom lost her mind," Edward said to his brother.

Alphonse nodded.

"Just make sure no muggles are watching. I'd rather not have to Obliviate and modify the memories of every single muggle in Kings Cross Station," Trisha warned.

"Uh, sure…"

They all looked at each other as if daring one another to go first.

"Your folks were in Gryffindor…you first," Edward told Harry.

"No way. I'm not running headlong into a brick wall by myself, Ed."

"Winry, then!"

"My parents were both Hufflepuffs, I'll remind you."

Pinako rolled her eyes. "I'll go first, if I must…"

The kids, not wanting to be shown up by the adults, frowned.

"Together?" Edward inquired of Harry as his hands tightened on the handle of his trolley.

"Together," Harry agreed.

Winry gulped, and Alphonse made a noise of awe that they were so willing to do it.

"On three?"

"Yep."

"One…"

"…two…"

"Three!" Both boys said, then ran at the wall.

They had their eyes closed at the moment of 'impact', so both were quite surprised when there was no resistance, and they continued to move. Thus, both opened their eyes at the same time and gawked.

There was another platform that they stood on, and there, in front of them, was a large, red and black train that read "Hogwarts Express". Above them was a sign that clearly stated the platform as being "9 ¾".

"Bloody…" Harry started with a grin.

"…brilliant!" Edward finished with a laugh.

There was a noise behind them, as Winry came through. She looked just as surprised since she hadn't hit the brick wall, then gawked at the giant train.

"Hey, Win! Wasn't that awesome?" Edward waved to her.

Winry chuckled to let out some nervous energy and walked over to them. "Not sure about 'awesome', but it was certainly an experience."

A moment later, Alphonse came through the wall with Pinako and Trisha.

"Alright, then." Trisha looked at the two boys in front of her with a tearful expression and a smile. "I suppose…well, have a great time at Hogwarts. I can't believe you two are old enough for this! Seems almost yesterday you were born, Ed! And that we took Harry in…"

Both boys turned bright red, but luckily, Winry wasn't around to tease them, because she was in a giant hug from Pinako that betrayed her own nerves.

"Be good, now. And know, no matter what houses you boys get into, I'm proud of you. Do write, will you? The school has an Owlry…"

"We will, mom." Edward smiled.

Harry nodded.

"I guess…I'll see you all at Christmas, then…" Trisha suddenly knelt down and hugged the two boys.

"Aw, mom…!" Edward sighed, but there was really little fight in his voice. Particularly as he wrapped his arms back around her. "We'll only be gone a couple months!"

Harry blinked tears and nodded. "Yea."

When they drew back, Edward took a moment to hug Alphonse. Before he let go, he whispered to his brother, "I doubt mom will keep us much updated on how the adults are doing with the…_you know_…so, I'm count'n on you to do so. And watch after mom."

Alphonse nodded with a determined expression. "I will."

Edward gave his brother a nod as Harry took his turn to hug Alphonse.

Then, the adults gently pushed their children in the direction of the train.

Edward paused a moment to wave to his mother and brother, and Harry joined him a moment later.

Then, the two and Winry boarded the giant Hogwarts Express.

* * *

It was quite amazing that they had managed to secure a compartment with nobody else in it. Winry kept looking out the window in hopes of seeing her grandmother, as she worried her lip.

"I've never been far away from home, before…" Winry admitted to the boys after waving to her gran.

"Neither have we," Edward reminded her as he opened the knapsack he had brought with him into the compartment and pulled out some books and paper.

Harry, too, took a seat on the floor next to Edward, rather than on the bench.

Winry turned around with a confused expression when she heard them settle in, but didn't feel a dip in the seat. She reckoned they could have sat on the seats opposite her instead of next to her, but that didn't explain the rustling and thumping. "What are you two doing?"

"Research," Edward responded as he pulled out a pencil and spread the papers on the ground.

To Winry, the papers looked like they contained various words of _something_, but it was in a language that she didn't know. There were symbols, too, but they made no sense what so ever to her. "Is that German?"

"No. Though, some of it is. There are also some in Egyptian Arabic. Most of it's in English, though. Just…hidden," was Edward's reply.

That told Winry enough to know what they were doing. "Alchemy?"

"Yep." Edward looked shrewdly at the papers. "Smuggled some books from the study, too."

"Not the usual ones," Harry elaborated at Winry's confused expression. "But we really can't say much more on it."

Winry rolled her eyes. "I don't much care for the inner workings of alchemy. I'd much prefer automail."

"Please, don't start rambling on about it. I see it every time I get dressed in the morning, so I'm more than aware of it. Plus, this is _way _more pressing," Edward interrupted.

Winry huffed, but then went back to staring out the window. She heard some mumbled conversation from the boys, such as:

"…move that over there?"

"How about putting this sigil here?"

"…mess up the equation…"

"…is it even possible to create one?"

"Better question is, if it'd work. We only really have one shot, and can't exactly practice on anything."

"What if we can find others?" Harry had questioned.

"I'm sure there are others…Dumbledore was sure of it. But it's not like we have them in hand or anything. I'm sure they're cursed to keep people away."

"Yea…we wouldn't have known about mine if it weren't for alchemy."

"I think Dumbledore suspected something."

"Really?"

"Mm."

Winry sighed. It was going to be a _long_ train ride.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	14. Visitors

Still don't own anything~!

Holy crap! ff.n didn't mess up any of my italics this chapter! YAY!

Ahem...anyway, no notes for this chapter, so onward!

* * *

Chapter 14: Visitors

The train ride wasn't as awkward as Winry had expected it. Yes, the boys had been absorbed in their work, but they burnt out about midway through without seemingly making any headway, if their expressions were anything to go by.

Rather, it was probably out of frustration that they had packed the things back into Edward's bag, and now, had a book called "The Standard Book of Spells" in front of them.

"Mom taught me the spell for a repelling charm to keep the automail fine," Edward explained to Harry. "You remember that, right?"

"Oh…so _that's_ what you were doing with that twig outside…"

Edward flushed. "Well, with the Trace, I couldn't very well use my actual _wand_…"

Harry chuckled. "Just teasing you, Ed."

Winry was glad the conversation had moved onto something she could actually contribute. "Gran has gone over some of those spells, too. Since I want to inherit the business and help her build and enchant the automail, I have to know what spells are used on them. Some are really complicated, but others are simple, like the repelling charm."

"Any others?" Harry flipped through the book a bit. "What's this one? An unlocking charm…?"

Edward peered at the book with a grin. "Oh, man…just imagine the fun we could have with that one!"

"And the trouble we'd get into," Harry warned the other.

Edward sighed in defeat. "Right. Considering that our grounding was finally lifted for what we did…"

"_Your_ grounding, you mean. I got a lighter sentence."

"That's because you didn't Probe without permission."

"And whose fault is that?" Harry grinned.

Edward stuck his tongue out again.

Winry just sighed. "Again with the alchemy talk? Can't we talk about spells, or something else?"

Before the boys could look at her in horror that she suggested they talk about something besides alchemy, a rattling from outside their compartment drew their attention, as well as the voice of an elderly female.

"Trolley! Anything off the trolley?"

The boys exchanged looks, then went to the entrance to see what the noise was about.

It was an old lady pushing what they could only describe as a moving candy factory along in front of her.

Trisha had packed them lunch, but had also given them some spare change (though Harry had protested that he use his own money, Trisha heard nothing of it).

Now they knew what it was for.

"You got change, Win?" Edward asked the girl.

Winry nodded. "Mum and dad gave me some…"

"Great! Then we don't hafta pay for you!" Edward snickered as he flagged the woman down.

Winry sighed and rolled her eyes, while Harry held in his chortles.

Edward could be incredibly blunt at times, but that didn't make it any less amusing.

The group returned to their cabin after deciding to split various items from the trolley so they could sample them. They had odd items such as Ice Mice, Pumpkin Pasties, Chocolate Frogs, Licorice Wands, and something called Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

After all, they didn't often get to have wizarding treats since, though muggles didn't notice things, they _did_ live amongst them. All it would take is Pitt or someone else to accidentally discover the strange or moving treats, and they would have a mess on their hands.

For the next half hour, the kids filled up on sugar, though with Winry's prompts, they at least ate their sandwiches and drank their juice with it. They had fun with a variety of the products, and started to dare one another to try oddly colored jelly beans.

"Spinach!" Harry made a face and nearly spat his out when he had tried a green one with odd lines around it.

"Not sure what mine is, but I really have no plans of eating it again." Winry made a disgruntled face.

Edward eyed a white one in his hand that was dotted with specks, then bit into the corner and gagged. "It tastes like linen!"

"I'm tempted to transmute them…" Harry muttered as he chucked his bean out the open window.

"Not too far behind ya." Though he said this, Edward, too, had fun throwing his out the window as well.

"Oh, great…now some muggle is going to find a jelly bean with a very strange taste to it! Very mature, boys!" Winry lectured them.

The two snorted.

"Win, if you haven't noticed, we're crossing a bridge over a body of water. The only thing liable to eat the bloody candy are the fish, and they'll prolly find it just as offensive as we did," Edward stated as he reached for the thing labeled 'chocolate'.

When in doubt, go for chocolate. It seemed to be Remus' favorite candy, and Edward couldn't help but like it as well. Chocolate solved just about everything; he was inclined to agree with the man.

Though, soon enough, the boys had to scramble to allow their reflexes to take over in order to stop the enchanted chocolate from hopping around. Luckily, it seemed they were only enchanted to hope one to three times, so they didn't ruin any of the candy.

Well, except for Winry's, who managed to hop out the window.

The boys had exchanged looks, then burst into laughter. Even Winry chuckled as she tried to imagine what had become of the frog.

It wasn't too long after the unfortunate loss of chocolate that there was a knock on the compartment door, and then it opened.

The girl that stood there was probably in their year, though unlike them, she was already dressed in her school robes. She had bushy brown hair and matching eyes, and very large teeth, particularly her front ones.

"Scuse me," the girl interrupted. "Have any of you seen a toad?"

Edward, who had a licorice wand in his mouth, shook his head 'no'.

The girl sighed. "A boy named Neville's lost his."

"Candy?" Edward asked once he swallowed.

The girl looked a tad sick at the suggestion. "No, a _real_ frog."

"Haven't seen one," Edward responded.

"Neither have I," Harry agreed.

Winry smiled apologetically to the girl. "Sorry. We'll keep our eyes open for one, though."

The other girl smiled in return, and gave them a nod. "Alright." She turned to leave, then thought better of it and glanced back into the compartment. "You three should change into your robes. I heard some older students saying that we should be arriving soon."

The kids thanked her, and she left.

"Glad we packed up our things…" Edward mumbled as he pushed aside wrappers and boxes.

"Yea…wouldn't want anyone to stumble upon what we're trying to do," Harry agreed.

Winry didn't even want to know, but she made to warn them, anyway. "You two aren't going to try something forbidden to help Harry and Al, are you?"

"I'd rather not go through that again," Edward muttered as he headed to where his trunk was stowed so he could get his robes. "Something less forbidden would much rather be preferred, thanks."

Winry decided she didn't want to know any further. "As long as you're both safe, then alright…"

Harry grabbed his robes, then looked at his friends. "Uh…how are we going to work this?"

Edward sighed and headed out of the compartment. "Camp out in the hall till Winry is done. I'd rather not know if she replaced her plastic wrenches with real ones, and I'd much prefer to enter Hogwarts without any lumps on my head."

Winry colored, and the boys hurriedly ducked out of the compartment.

"She's mental at times, you know that, right?" Harry clarified as something hit the closed door with a muted 'thump'.

"Putting it mildly…" Edward muttered in response.

* * *

It was dark out by the time the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station, but it was undoubtedly time to get off. They were told to leave their trunks, as they would be brought up to the castle, so the three just stuck together as they hopped off of the train.

Harry hurriedly fixed the blue headband he had used to cover his scar when they were jostled by the crowd.

"Firs' Years, o'er here!"

It wasn't hard to find the owner of the gruff and booming voice, as he towered over even the older students that had headed towards some carriages.

He was _huge_, with a scraggly beard and beady eyes, as he wore heavy and dark robes over his large frame. Yet, he had a kind nature about him as he held a lantern over his head and called for the first year students.

Harry glanced at Edward as they headed over.

Edward grinned and gave him a thumbs-up.

Nothing to worry about; this man had only one layer, and it was a nice looking one.

Harry smiled, and managed to keep in step with Edward, though he paused at a voice that called to them on their way towards…wherever the man that identified himself as 'Hagrid' was taking them.

"Elric!"

The two turned around and smiled, partially out of relief, when they saw Draco run up to catch up to them.

"Thanks for not calling _my_ last name," Harry said sincerely.

Draco snorted. "I'm not daft. With that headband of yours, you won't want people to know who you are, apparently. I respect that."

"You can call us by first name, though," Edward responded, though he also threw Draco a grateful look.

Draco shrugged. "If that's your wish."

Winry glanced over in confusion. "Who's this?"

"Oh, right…you never met…" Harry mused.

Edward indicated from one person to the other. "Winry, this is Draco. We met him at Diagon Alley when we were getting our robes. Draco, this is our childhood friend, Winry."

Winry gave a nod. "Winry Rockbell."

"Draco Malfoy," the blond introduced himself.

Winry stiffened a bit. "Malfoy?"

Draco frowned.

Edward elbowed the girl and shook his head.

"No, Ed…I've heard bad rumors about the Malfoy family from my folks and gran. That they were big supporters of You-Know-Who."

"That doesn't mean Draco is," it was Harry that argued for the boy's sake.

Edward nodded in agreement. "Yea."

Winry still looked uncertain.

Draco sneered, but it was only half hearted; as if it was more of an attempt to hide his family name. "I hardly expect people to understand. Crabbe and Goyle didn't. I rather spent the train ride avoiding them."

"Who…?" Harry started.

Winry, however, spoke, her voice hard. "More supporters."

"Oh, stop it, Win!" Edward turned to the girl, then lowered his voice when a couple kids in front of them glanced behind. "Look, Draco's our friend, and I won't have you putting him down. Whatever his family did, he didn't…and he ain't proud of it. _Understand_?"

The emphasis on the last word made Winry catch on. Sure, she didn't know a lot about alchemy, or how things worked, but Probing was briefly explained to her after the disaster at Harry's birthday, and she knew that, combined with his piercing look, the 'understand' meant that Edward had Probed to make sure that Draco could be trusted.

Winry sighed and glanced over at the scowling platinum blond. "If Ed says you're alright, then fine…but I don't completely trust you."

"Take a number and get in line." Draco growled.

Luckily, they were saved further conversation, or argument, by Hagrid telling them to get into some boats on the lake; four people to a boat.

The group looked at each other, then Edward and Harry looked expectantly at Winry.

Winry smiled weakly. "I said I was fine with it…"

Satisfied, they got into the boats. Edward sat up front with Winry so she didn't have to be next to Draco, while Harry sat behind Winry, and Draco sat behind Edward.

The trip was amazing; something that they hadn't expected. It gave them a view of the large castle, and even Draco made an impressed noise.

Edward, of course, just wondered what sort of secrets the school held, and if any of those secrets could help him destroy Harry's Horcrux and heal his brother.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	15. The Sorting

More disclaimer stuffs…

Alright, a small note on the sorting…

When I first came up with the idea, I was originally going to put Harry and Edward into Ravenclaw, but then realized that even my version of them didn't quite fit for that house. I did consider Hufflepuff for Harry and Slytherin for Edward, but it didn't work out for multiple reasons; first and foremost was that I had to keep the two together. I could have put them both in Slytherin, but I can't honestly picture either of them in that house once their goals have been achieved. Plus, the other Slytherin characters are hardly "friends" material for the two boys (I doubt they'd get along).

And, no, I'm not writing what the Sorting Hat said for Harry; we all know what it said, and I'm trying not to copy or quote the book more than I have to.

Another note, this time, on Ron. Now, I have nothing against the guy, but put in the perspective of someone that didn't meet Harry on the train, and saw these two kids hanging out with someone he hated (Draco), he wouldn't be too open minded. In fact, that's not a big trait in Ron's character. He's not going to bully them or be a jerk (too much; I plan on him coming around, at least), but he isn't going to be in their little clique.

Okie, I think that about does it…for those wondering when some more FMA characters will show up…one will be there later on, and yes, Roy will eventually appear (just perhaps not in Book One; or, at least, not named). I have to build up Harry and Edward, and get the first arc of the plot going before I hit the second one. Patience, patience!

* * *

Chapter 15: The Sorting

The boat ride had ended with a round faced boy receiving his toad that Hagrid had found, obviously the Neville kid, and the group headed up the staircase of a large castle. Above them, they could see more staircases that appeared to be moving, and in front of them, just up the stairs and in front of a set of large, wooden doors, was a stern looking witch wearing all green.

Harry and Edward, of course, recognized her at once. They smiled, but kept their mouths shut about knowing that the witch, who was now telling them about the Sorting and the houses, was Minerva McGonagall.

Once the doors closed, with Minerva going inside, hushed chatter broke out amongst the kids.

"My brothers said that we had to wrestle a troll!" a red-headed boy said to a short brown-haired boy.

"Don't be daft," Draco interrupted. "They wouldn't have first years wrestling _trolls_."

The boy colored, and turned on the other. "What would _you_ know?"

"More than you…let me guess. A Weasley."

The red-headed boy nodded, and eyed Draco warily. "And who're you?"

"Draco."

"Draco _Malfoy_?" the Weasley boy snorted. "Like you have any right to criticize _me,_ what with…"

"I'm sure the professors don't want to hafta break up a fight before the term even started yet," Edward interrupted with a droll tone, almost as if he was bored.

Harry nodded with a grin as he understood what Edward was doing. He didn't speak, so as not to call attention to himself, but he didn't move from his spot next to Edward so his cousin knew he had his full support.

Winry muttered something that sounded like "boys", but said nothing. Nor did she move, either.

"And you are…?" the Weasley boy raised a brow.

"Edward Elric. I didn't exactly hear you introduce yourself, ya know."

"Ron Weasley. Why are you standing up for _Malfoy_? Are you muggleborn? Don't you know what his family…?" Ron started.

"I don't give a whit," Edward interrupted, "what his family did. He's hardly them, now is he?"

Ron flushed red up to his ears.

They were saved, this time, by a group of ghosts that floated boy, talking about someone named "Peeves", though a couple did pause to greet the new students; some of which almost as pale as the ghosts.

Edward, however, grinned. Maybe one of the ghosts would know of methods that the living didn't. These ghosts were obviously sentient, and very much aware of what was going on around them. Perhaps they had some ancient knowledge they could share.

Harry caught sight of Edward's grin, and gave him a look of confusion.

Edward merely made as if he was going to clap his hands.

Harry understood, and grinned as well.

Winry looked between them and sighed.

Everyone else was too focused on the ghosts, so they missed the exchange.

Shortly after the ghosts passed, the doors opened again, and Minerva stepped out with a small smile. "We're ready for you. Come along, now."

The kids barely exchanged looks amongst each other as they filed into a line and followed the witch in green into what was known as the Great Hall, where they could see the sky above them and older students watching them from other tables.

Harry and Edward could hear the girl that had been looking for Neville's toad say something about how the ceiling was bewitched to look like the night sky.

Well, that explained it, at least.

As the group of first years came to a stop in front of a stool with a ratty old hat resting on it, the boys glanced around.

There were tables, each with different colors to represent their houses. On the far end was the green and silver of Slytherin. Next to them was the blue and bronze of Ravenclaw. Then came the yellow and black of Hufflepuff. Finally, was the red and gold of Gryffindor. A banner hung above each table, as well, which showed off the house crest and symbol.

The boys turned their attention on the table that overlooked the student tables, which was filled with adults; obviously, the staff table. Dumbledore was seated in the middle, and they could see Hagrid on one end, while Snape looked anything but pleased on the other end.

Then again, the two boys thought, Snape was _never_ pleased whenever they saw him.

The only one missing from it was McGonagall, who stood next to the ratty hat with a roll of parchment in her hands.

The room had fallen into silence, and to the surprise of Harry and Edward (and most other first years), their attention all seemed to be…on that ruddy hat.

Even more surprising was when the hat burst into song. It was about the four houses, and finding where they belonged.

Harry and Edward glanced at each other in relief.

Oh.

All they had to do was put on the hat, and it would tell them.

They weren't the only ones relieved, as they, and a few others, caught the mutterings from Ron as he said, "…gonna kill Fred! He was going on about wrestling a troll!"

McGonagall quieted them down, and told them that, when she called their name, they were to come up, have a seat, and have the hat placed on their head, which would sort them into their houses.

Nerves set in once more as almost every first year shifted.

The first name, an "Abbott, Hannah", was sorted into Hufflepuff, which the hat let everyone know by shouting it so loud that the entire Great Hall could hear. Applause went up, though the Hufflepuff table was the loudest.

Once "Boot, Terry" went into Ravenclaw, Edward had a sinking feeling that they were going in alphabetical order.

Harry, too, seemed to realize this, and glanced at Edward.

Edward shrugged. Nothing he could do about it…

Sure enough, not too long after "Crabbe, Vincent" was sorted into Slytherin, Edward heard his name.

"Elric, Edward!"

Harry clapped Edward on the shoulder briefly as a vote of confidence, and even Draco managed a tiny nod of encouragement.

Edward beamed, and went over to the stool. The second his eyes were obscured by the darkness from the inside of the hat, he nearly jumped at the voice inside his head.

_"Difficult…very difficult."_

Edward managed to keep his jaw shut. _You talk!_

_"Of course I do, silly boy…" _

_Can anyone else hear us?_

_"No. I'm speaking directly into your mind. Hmm…you have a lot of interesting things in your mind. An alchemy genius, who helped perform a very risky transmutation to cure his mother…"_

Edward nearly paled. _That's __**private**__, and a __**secret**__!_

_"Silly boy…**nothing** is a secret from me. Now, let's see what else we've got. Definitely a lot of courage, that's for sure. Facing down something as scary as what you saw then, and knowing that it could go wrong…Gryffindor, that. Very dedicated and hard working…Hufflepuff qualities, those. You get absorbed in what you do, and tune out the world when researching…perhaps a bit of Ravenclaw. But, hmm…"_

Edward resisted the urge to fidget. How long had he been sitting up there? At least the hat was no longer talking about the accident…

_"Ambitious, oh, yes. Very much so. You wish to find a cure for your brother's ailment, help your cousin, and…hmm? Interesting. You wish to find a cure for Lycanthropy, as well."_

Edward flushed. He hadn't even told Harry or Alphonse about _that_ little desire of his…

_"Slytherin would help you with that, and yet, I sense that, once your goals are achieved, they wouldn't be the right place for you."_

Edward resisted a scowl. _So, are you saying you can't sort me or something? You've named every house!_

_"Humph. Of course I can sort you! It's just picking out which quality stands out the most. Let's see…you can't stand to see your friends in trouble, and would do anything to help them. You're not afraid to stand up for what's right, and would break a few rules even if it meant being able to help someone, yet you aren't quite as willing to do something forbidden to achieve your goals. You're dedicated, daring, and can teeter on the reckless side when you get something in your head. You leap before you look, which sometimes gets you in trouble…"_

Edward flushed a bit.

_"Well, then. Only one place for you…"_

The elder Elric all but held his breath.

"_Must be…_GRYFFINDOR!"

The latter part was for the entire hall to hear, and Edward was just so relieved to get the hat off his head that he stood up quickly and put the hat back on the chair. He risked a glance at his friends as he headed over to the cheering Gryffindor table.

Harry and Winry were clapping the hardest, as it didn't matter to them what house they really got into.

Draco looked a tad reluctant, but did give Edward a nod when the amber eyed boy's gaze fell on the Malfoy heir.

That was more than enough, though he did glance towards the staff table briefly. Dumbledore was twinkling like usual, and McGonagall seemed as if she had expected it.

Edward really didn't care what Snape thought, as he heard from his mother and Remus that the man disliked Gryffindors as a whole. _Just as long as he doesn't pick on Harry, he's entitled to his opinions, no matter how warped they are._

Edward took a seat after some greetings at the table, then looked over to see where his friend would wind up.

Names came and went, and kids were sorted into one of the four houses as Edward paid attention to those he knew.

The next person he knew was the unnamed girl that had been looking for Neville's toad, who was apparently named "Granger, Hermione".

After some small debate, but not nearly as long as Edward's had been, or a boy named "Finnigan, Seamus", Hermione was declared a Gryffindor.

The girl looked relieved, and hurriedly made her way to the table, where she took a seat.

If Edward's sorting had taken a long time, it was nothing on poor Neville Longbottom, who had to have been sitting there for at least five minutes before the hat finally declared him a Gryffindor, as well.

Neville looked relieved, and nearly ran to the table with the hat still on his head in said relief. With a flush, he returned it to McGonagall, then hurriedly took a seat next to Hermione, who smiled at him.

Next up from the "people to note" was Draco.

The hat wasn't on his head long, and Draco almost seemed nervous up there, though he obviously tried to hide it.

Finally, the seam opened, and declared: "SLYTHERIN!".

Draco gave an almost uncertain glance towards Edward, since the boys were well aware of the Gryffindor/Slytherin feud that had been going on for ages.

Despite that, Edward grinned at him and gave him thumbs-up, then thought a moment and playfully stuck his tongue out at his friend.

Draco seemed to cheer up at that, and smirked in return as he gained enough confidence to sit at the Slytherin table. Though, he seemed to make sure to keep his distance from most of them, Edward noticed.

Finally, it was Harry's turn.

Since Harry had still been wearing his headband, people were fairly unaware of whom they had been walking with. So, when his name was called and he stepped forward, a deathly hush fell over the entire Great Hall.

Dumbledore seemed extremely interested in the sorting, and perhaps a bit worried.

Considering what they had found out during Harry's birthday, Edward didn't blame the old Headmaster. Even _he_ was worried that the hat would detect too much of that layer.

Still, Edward mustered up his best encouraging look to give to Harry before the hat obscured his friend's eyes.

It wasn't as long as Edward's turn, or Seamus', and especially not as long as Neville's. However, it was still a decently length of time before the hat finally opened its brim.

Everyone was just about hanging out of their seats, as the hat stretched its 'mouth', and said…

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly took off the hat and ran over to the table, where a couple of red-headed twins were chanting "we got Potter!".

Edward gave Harry a high-five as his cousin slid in next to him. "Took long enough!"

"The hat didn't quite know where to place me. I think it detected the…_you know_…"

Edward nodded.

"…but I didn't have to argue with it much or anything. That piece didn't have too much influence, and though it considered Hufflepuff, it put me here."

Edward snickered. "Freak'n hat wanted to put me in _all_ the houses. Really, I dunno how it finally made up its 'mind'."

Harry grinned.

Their discussion was interrupted when they heard the name "Rockbell, Winry".

"Where do you think she'll end up? With us?" Harry asked.

Edward shrugged. "She sure has a temper, but I dunno…"

The hat answered for them, and belted out, "RAVENCLAW!"

Winry looked a tad disappointed not to be in the same house as Edward (and Harry), but accepted it and marched over to the cheering Ravenclaw table.

"No real big surprise," Edward commented. "She can be daring and a bit scary, but she often tries to reign us in, remember?"

Harry chuckled and nodded, reminded of a few times they tried to stay hidden in the wizarding section of the library, and Winry would find them and give them a lecture as she dragged them out.

Nobody seemed surprised when "Weasley, Ronald" was put in Gryffindor, though Edward made a face.

"Hope I don't hafta share a dorm with him. He seems the nosey sort, and we can't have that."

Harry nodded in agreement.

Luckily, Ron didn't seem too interested in them, and instead, took a seat near Seamus.

The last person to be sorted was "Zabini, Blaise", who went into Slytherin.

When that was done, McGonagall joined the rest of the staff at the table while Dumbledore made a couple announcements, such as banned items (while nodding to Filch, whom Harry and Edward agreed that they wouldn't want to meet up with in a dark corridor, let alone in a well lit one), and that anyone who ventured into the forbidden third floor corridor would "die a most painful death".

A few faces paled and stared at each other in shock, and some kids thought that Dumbledore was perhaps pulling their leg, but the older students assured them that, no, he was quite serious.

"I don't wanna know," Edward finally muttered.

Harry agreed. They did, after all, have more important things to worry about than why they would die painfully and horribly if they wound up on the third floor.

However, all thoughts were put to rest when Dumbledore uttered words of complete nonsense, and the tables filled with platters of food.

"Woa…" Harry breathed.

"Couldn't have said it better, myself." Edward grinned.

And, for a brief moment, the two could forget about their goals and determination of solving the mysteries around them, and just enjoy the feast like every other student in the Great Hall.

The clock was ticking, and they knew it, but the two boys were hopeful and confident that they would find _some_ sort of answer in this magical place.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	16. Dormmates and Research

Still own nothing!

For the person that had already guessed it, yes, Harry's headband had been a tribute to AVPM/AVPS. Kudos on catching that! ^^

The information on numbers was obtained from just googling; so it came from various sources.

Uh…nothing else, really. Sort of a slow chapter, but it'll pick up.

* * *

Chapter 16: Dormmates and Research

After following Prefect Percy Weasley up to the dorms, Edward and Harry were relieved to find that the boys' dorms had been split in two to accommodate the even number. Typically, they could house five kids per room, but since there were only six male Gryffindors, it didn't make sense to have five in one and a single person in another.

Thus, they were divided up into three and three.

The closer dorm belonged to Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnigan, and a black boy named Dean Thomas. The next dorm was theirs, and they would be sharing it with Neville Longbottom.

Harry and Edward exchanged looks of relief as they entered to check out their dorm. Of all the people they were stuck with, they reckoned that Neville was least likely to nose into their research. They didn't know much of anything on Dean Thomas, which had made him a wildcard in their plans. Neville, however, was a shy and hesitant boy, and the two cousins knew that he wouldn't pay much mind to them disappearing to do research.

Their trunks were arranged at the foot of their beds, and each bed was decked out in the red and gold Gryffindor colors in terms of sheets and curtains, and contained scarves and gloves that was apparently theirs to keep, as well as their school badges.

Neville had yet to come up to the room, which allowed Edward and Harry to plot a bit.

"I'm sure there are charms…after we snooped on their conversation, mom got in the habit of using Imperturbable Charms whenever she spoke with Dumbledore or Remus about the _you know what_." Even though they were the only two up there, Edward wasn't about to risk that Neville could walk in at any moment, or that anyone wasn't right outside their door and could hear them.

"Shouldn't be too hard to learn them. Worst comes to worst, we could always just cocoon ourselves with the wood…"

Edward laughed and gave Harry a light slap on the shoulder. "No way! That'd draw attention! We're not supposed to use alchemy unless it's an emergency. Or…"

Harry caught Edward's mischievous grin.

"…unless we don't get caught."

Harry shook his head wryly. "As if there's any wonder why the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor…"

Edward snickered, then looked at the curtains. "Still, I wouldn't want to do all the research in the library. And finding an empty classroom ain't safe, either, with all the ghosts flying around. All it takes is one person to understand a single word, and we're busted."

"But Dumbledore knows we're going to look into it…he had that strange twinkle in his eye when we caught his gaze…" Harry mused.

Edward shrugged, and jumped onto his bed. "Doesn't mean I _want_ to be caught. Some of the things we might find are forbidden, and a teacher might not take us straight to Dumbledore. Not even McGonagall knows what we wanna do."

Harry's grin dropped and he took a seat next to his cousin. "Point. If a teacher caught us with forbidden material and took matters into their own hands…"

"Dunno bout you, but I'd rather not hafta get to know Filch."

Harry shuddered at the man they had seen during dinner, with his squinty eyed expression and nasty grin. "Agreed on that."

"So, we look for a Imperturbable Charm to put on the bed in case Neville's in here. The less people that know bout this, the better. Not even Winry really knows what we're upta."

Harry agreed, and the two shook on it.

Just as they parted to pull out their pajamas, the door opened, and Neville stumbled in and looked around.

"Uh…hullo…" Neville managed uncertainly.

"Yo!" Edward held up a hand in greeting. "You're Neville, right?"

The plump boy nodded.

"Guess we'll be sharing a dorm with ya!" Edward held out his hand.

Neville, a bit stunned, shook it.

Harry came over from where he had finished changing into his pajamas. "Nice to meet you, Neville."

Neville looked even more flabbergasted as he shook Harry's hand. "Y-yea…"

"You expected to be made fun of or some'n?" Edward raised a brow as he started to get changed, careful to have his back to them so Neville, though distracted, couldn't see his automail.

"S-something like that…" Neville lowered his eyes. "Seamus laughed when I stumbled into their dorm…"

Harry smiled amiably. "It's alright. Nobody will make fun of you here. Ed and I might have our moments of privacy and what not, but we wouldn't leave you out to be mean."

"We're cousins," Edward added, realizing that Harry was trying to explain the times when Neville wouldn't be included in their plans. "Grew up together for the past three years. So, yea…what Harry said. If we don't include ya in some'n we're talk'n about, it's not to be mean. And it ain't about you."

Neville looked oddly happy, yet awed, and could only manage to nod as he made his way over to his own trunk.

Harry and Edward exchanged a thumbs-up to each other behind the other boy's back.

Now, they were free to plot about what they needed to without worry of their roommate feeling left out, because he certainly wasn't the nosey type.

* * *

Classes…well, Edward and Harry wasn't sure _what_ to expect. They were given their time schedules at breakfast, and were expected to start classes at noon.

Percy had given the two boys an odd look when they asked where the library was, but showed it to them, anyway.

There was a scary woman behind the desk (who reminded Harry slightly of Aunt Petunia, so he tried to stay as far away from her as possible), and nobody else in the library, itself.

The female librarian, Madam Pince, gave them a slightly suspicious look. "Aren't you two boys going to try to skive off as much as possible before classes officially start? Even the Ravenclaws aren't in here, yet."

Harry's mouth closed to form a line. It was a habit that still came back once in a while, where he just stopped talking when he was intimidated enough. Normally, Pince wouldn't have been intimidating, if she didn't have that mean look to her like Aunt Petunia had.

"I thought the library was open…?" Edward blinked.

Pince gave a slow nod. "Yes, it is…I better not catch you two goofing off! This is no place for that!"

"No, ma'am!" Edward shook his head quickly.

Harry agreed silently, and followed the other boy into one of the isles.

"Man, if looks could kill, we'd be six feet under…" Edward muttered.

Harry agreed, slightly flushed.

Edward glanced at his cousin. "Aw, don't be upset bout it, Harry…"

"But…you saw what I did. It was just like when we met Snape in Diagon Alley. I…I _froze_!" Harry kept his voice down, since it _was_ a library.

"Hey…" Edward put his hands on Harry's shoulders to steady him. "Look, you went through some'n really nasty, and you're lucky you can even talk. Some folks that suffer emotional abuse dun talk for _years_. Just cause you regress now and then doesn't make ya any less whole."

Harry frowned and blinked away tears.

"Sides…we're in the same house, so if Snape messes with ya, I'll say some'n."

"But…we'll lose house points…" Harry started meekly.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Rather house points than him bully'n ya. I don't trust that guy; there's some'n dark in his aura. I know he helped save ya, but…"

Harry nodded, then pulled off his glasses to wipe his eyes. "I know."

Edward beamed and dropped his arms to his sides. "Come on…let's see what we can find that we can use afore we gotta go back to the dorm and get the right books for class."

Harry agreed as they started to search. He lowered his voice even more, to make sure they weren't overheard. "Think we'll find anything?"

"On alchemy, probably not. On amplifiers, again, probably not. On…" Edward glanced around to make sure nobody was nearby, but spoke the word so softly that only Harry, with his better-than-average hearing, could catch, "…Horcruxes…"

Harry gave a nod.

Edward raised his voice back to a normal level. "…probably not. I bet they've all been removed, and alchemy is a lost art; there's noth'n here that wouldn't have been in the study at home. Maybe stuff about the history of it, but if it was well known enough to be in the library, it'd be a school subject. Remember what Percy said bout the optional classes? Noth'n in there was on alchemy."

Harry bobbed his head in agreement. "Then, what _can_ we look for?"

"Well…" Edward considered it. He _did_ want to help Remus, because he read some of the books in his father's study about werewolves, and that it was apparently very painful for them. He liked Remus, and Harry liked Remus…so he wanted to find a cure.

However, that was hardly as pressing as the Horcruxes and Alphonse's injury.

If there had been a magical cure to Alphonse's injury, the healers at St. Mungo's would have found it. If there was anything on the Horcruxes, Dumbledore's colleague or whatever was in the basement at home would probably have information on it.

"To start with…I think we need to determine how many of, _you know_, Voldermort made. I'm sure yours isn't the only one. If we could find some sort of _number_, then we'd have a starting point. And, we can help the adults make sure that he _stays_ dead."

Harry readily agreed with that. "But how do we find out?"

Edward thought a moment. "We know Voldemort was all about gaining power and immortality, so it would hafta be a power number. In alchemy, the power number is three…mostly for…"

"Mind, body, and soul…" Harry fixed his glasses, which had been knocked askew when he moved his arm to take a look at the spine of a book. "Right."

"There's no accounts of Voldemort know'n alchemy, but other things use the number three as a big number. So, it could be that."

"How do we find the others?"

Edward grinned and pulled a book off the shelf. "Lucky for us, though books on more of…nastier…topics have been removed, nobody finds any problems with documenting magical numbers and their meanings."

Harry cringed at the giant book that Edward had pulled out, then looked at the next one that joined it. "What about the Restricted Section that we passed on the way over here?"

"Possibly, but how would we get in? Pince is watch'n like a hawk!"

Harry shrugged. "Dunno, but we shouldn't give up on it, I don't think. There might be an answer there…at least, for Al."

Edward considered it. "Yea, true…"

Harry picked up one of the books. "Divination?"

"There are a lotta subjects that have special, magical numbers. Try to find an index or table of contents and see if there's a chapter about numbers."

Harry nodded, and started to flip pages.

Edward did the same with the other books he had pulled off the shelf.

It wasn't long before Harry snorted. "I think we can rule out the number 'three'. Different sources pin it as being a 'heavenly' number. Most mention 'faith', 'charity', and 'hope'. I doubt an evil wizard would create a heavenly number of parts of him."

Edward snickered. "Point. This one talks about numbers and elements…that says nothing of power and immortality, though the elements can have a large play in it. But that's borderline alchemy, and we already know Voldemort didn't know alchemy, or he'd have used it."

"Yea." Harry picked up the next book after a glance at the clock.

"We still good on time?"

"Running out. You expect to find an answer before we have to get our books?"

"I expect to have a couple possibilities, at least. Then, we can do more research on the possible numbers, and narrow it down."

Harry grinned. "Didn't come here for class, huh?"

Edward winked. "Course not. Oh…we should also look for a book on charms, unless our textbook covers the Imperturbable Charm."

"Good idea. I'll take a look, since you probably know more of what you're looking for."

"I was about to suggest we split up. Great minds think alike, eh? Let's get to it!"

In the end, they came out of the library with a book of charms they wanted to borrow, since there were other interesting ones mentioned, as well as a list of possible numbers that Voldemort could have used.

"So…" Harry recounted as they headed to the dorm. "We've got the number 'six', because it's a 'perfect number', and there's mention of 'creation' and 'servitude'…"

Edward gave a nod as he kept a look out for other students, even though they were whispering.

"We still haven't completely eliminated the number three, though it's not a very likely choice…"

"Yep. Can't be too careful…we only searched for an overview in the couple hours we had."

"The most powerful seems to be 'seven', since we have written here that it's the miraculous number of perfection and life. Keywords are 'passion', 'desire', and 'reason'. Sounds the most likely." Harry glanced at his cousin.

"Yea. But we still can't rule out the others. The number 'six' comes a close second to a power number, according to the book."

"There's also the number 'ten', which is a number of completion. Not so sure about that. I don't think Voldemort _meant_ to turn a piece of my forehead into…well…a _you know_."

"We need a better code word for that…" Edward mumbled.

Harry smirked, but then looked back at the paper. "Why'd you cross off the number 'eleven'? That's the number of commandments, according to another source."

"They're _commandments_. I never really read 'em, since we're atheists, but I do recall Pitt talking about them once, and say'n that one of them was 'thou shalt not kill', or some'n like that. Well, our pal, Voldie, sorta violated that one off the bat."

Harry gaped for a moment at the nickname, then snickered. "Maybe that's what we should call the…uh…"

"Call them 'Voldies'? Huh…yea, I guess that works." Edward laughed.

"I have a Voldie in me! My scar is a Voldie!" Harry, despite the seriousness of the situation, couldn't help but try the word out.

That sent Edward into a fit of laughter that carried the entire way back to the dormitory, and soon had Harry joining in. They were given a couple strange looks, but the two really didn't care.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	17. The Natural

Disclaimer goes here!

No notes for this chapter, except that it's a bit of a slow one if I do say so myself, so onward!

* * *

Chapter 17: The Natural

The first class they got to experience was Transfiguration with Hufflepuff house, and the person that taught it was none other than their Head of House, Minerva McGonagall.

Edward sat there, with his jaw just about on his desk, as McGonagall went on about turning a matchstick into a needle.

Harry, who sat next to Edward, was just as surprised at the transformation that McGonagall demonstrated. Once they went over the theory and wand movement, they were actually cut loose to do it, so long as they didn't try any "funny business".

Edward looked at Harry, then at his matchstick. "How is that possible? There's no equivalent exchange!"

"I know…" Harry's eyes were wide behind his glasses. "The elements are completely different, too!"

"I don't get it…how can transfiguration ignore equivalent exchange? Alchemy is still considered magic, and _it_ has to obey the law…what's so different about this subject?"

Harry shrugged at Edward's furred brow. "Not like we can ask. Even McGonagall doesn't know we can use alchemy. Only adults that know are Dumbledore, Uncle Moony, and Aunt Trisha."

"And Winry's folks and Pinako, of course…" Edward stared dubiously at his match.

Just then, the two were interrupted. "Is there a problem, Mister Elric? Mister Potter? I don't see your wands moving."

The boys exchanged a glance, then shook their heads.

"We were…uh…" Harry stammered.

"Gathering our power!" Edward exclaimed. "Yea! Focusing!"

McGonagall raised a brow, and her expression clearly told them what she thought of _that_ little story. "I suggest that you two wrap up your 'focusing', and get to work."

Edward stuck out his tongue at her when she moved past them to compliment Hermione, who had managed a pointy, silver match stick already.

It was more than anyone else had been able to achieve, as some couldn't even get their matches to turn silver (like Ron, who was cursing up a storm at the table near them).

Harry shrugged, then muttered the incantation and tapped his matchstick. To his delight and astonishment, it turned a silver color. "It really _does_ bypass the laws! You just have to think less of alchemy and more of what you want it to do!"

Edward stared at his match. _What I want it to do, eh? That's not too much different from alchemy, only here, elements are obviously ignored. _

"Ed?" Harry questioned. After all, his cousin had been doing alchemy _much_ longer than him. Was he unable to change one object into another without transmuting it? Was the thought of going around the laws of equivalent exchange too much?

"This has potential…" Edward suddenly mumbled.

"What does?" Harry asked.

"If transfiguration doesn't hold up to the laws of equivalent exchange…maybe there's a way to cure Al."

"Wouldn't the healers have thought of that already?"

Edward pouted.

Harry apologized.

"Nah…it's alright. Yea…gotta stay realistic. It was an alchemy accident, and some'n big, too. Whatever energy is being used to do this, it's not the same as alchemy, so that's probably why it can go against equivalent exchange."

"Sounds about right," Harry replied after a moment of thought on it. "The energy has to come from _somewhere_…alchemy comes from the Earth, but there's obviously another part of it for you to have seen what you did back then."

"Yea."

They were, again, interrupted by McGonagall, who had come back. "Try again, Mister Potter. That's still very much a match, though it's a little better than some of your classmates. Mister Elric…have you even made an attempt?"

Edward shrugged at Harry, then decided to have a go at it. If he just tried to focus on the energy of magic, like the charm his mother had taught him to repel water from his automail, perhaps it was doable…

A tap at the match, and the incantation muttered…

And Edward now had, on his desk, what was very obviously a needle.

"Huh…" Edward was just as surprised as McGonagall and the others around him, though they were more shocked that he had gotten it on what was obviously his first try. "What do ya know…it actually works."

McGonagall, once she got over her shock, inspected the needle. It even had a hole for the thread, and everything. "Excellent work, Mister Elric. Five points to Gryffindor."

There were some muted cheers from the Gryffindor side of the classroom.

McGonagall put the needle back down. "Perhaps you'd like to try turning it back to a match." With that, she was off to help a Hufflepuff student that had somehow turned his book silver.

From the row across from them, Ron leaned over. "How the bloody hell did you do that?"

Edward shrugged. "I dunno."

Harry was looking at something over Edward and Ron. "Uh…you might want to move a bit. Seamus' matchstick is…"

There was a burst of flame that startled Ron so much he fell out of his chair, then a small explosion.

Somehow, Seamus had caused his match to catch on fire, and then blew it up.

McGonagall rushed over to see what had gone wrong, while others just either stared or started to snicker.

Harry was one of the latter. "Not every day something like _that_ happens."

"Guess there are things like rebounds in magic, too, if it's not done right," Edward just said with a shrug as he tapped his wand to his matchstick and said the incantation again.

Harry shook his head wryly as he watched Edward's needle become an ordinary match stick again. "Show off."

"Nobody's look'n."

McGonagall, however, caught sight of it. "I'm impressed, Mister Elric. Another five points to Gryffindor."

Harry quirked a brow at his cousin as the woman walked off, only to give a couple more points for Hermione's near-perfect needle. "Not showing off, huh?"

"Better'n make'n it explode…" Edward drawled, and amused himself by turning his match into a needle again.

Harry rolled his eyes and snickered, then tried to get his own match to resemble at least _something_ of a needle.

Though, he did have to agree with his cousin; at least he didn't blow up his match.

* * *

The last class they had that day was History of Magic, and it was the most boring class ever. Though the cousins had been surprised to find that it was taught by a ghost (along with the rest of the class), that quickly wore off when they realized just how _dull_ the ghost, Binns, was.

He just floated there at the front of the room, going on in a monotone about this and that, none of which too interesting.

The only one that seemed to pay attention was Hermione, but the rest of the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were either doodling in their notebooks, attempting to somehow pay attention, passing notes to each other, or falling asleep.

Harry belonged to the last option, as he was face down, on his books, snoozing.

Ron, who was nearby, even snored here and there.

Binns didn't seem to notice or care that people were asleep at their desks or passing notes. Rather, he just went on, uninterrupted, about the facts…which was easy for him to do since he didn't have to breathe, being a ghost, so he could talk in one big whoosh of a sentence.

Edward entertained himself with going over some matrixes for alchemy. Anyone that looked over at him would just think he had been doodling random shapes and patterns, so he wasn't concerned.

Besides…with sleeping Harry on one side, two Hufflepuffs passing notes behind him, and the wall on his other side, he was fairly safe from prying eyes.

Edward knew that, even with an amplifier, he would have to delve into human transmutation in order to remove the Horcrux from Harry. Thus, he went over what he knew about the passageway to the Gate. Sure, he might not return this time, but it was a small price to pay for curing Alphonse and-or removing Harry's Horcrux.

To separate souls…

If Edward could find a safe way to do so, he might be able to separate the wolf from Remus, as well. This fueled his determination; he already knew he would need some sort of amplifier to cure his brother, but as for the Horcruxes…

It wouldn't hurt to have an amplifier to be on the safe side, but there weren't that many known amplifiers that were powerful enough, and the creation for those that were known had been lost centuries ago. He had read about a couple, like specially transmuted gemstones and some half-completed notes he recalled from Hoenheim on something called "Red Water".

Edward paused in his circle making. Could 'Red Water' be related to Flamel's research? There were plenty of books past the first set of wards he had broken on Flamel, and it was even confirmed on the back of a Chocolate Frog card, of all things, when Harry pulled Dumbledore.

Edward tapped his quill to his chin. _Nicolas Flamel…'the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone, though he had accredited his research to something even further in the past, ancient methods, and attempted to find a 'safer' way of creating one. He worked with Albus Dumbledore for a while.' That's what the card said. I bet there's something in Hoenheim's study about the Philosopher's Stone, or even. I know there's stuff on Flamel. Maybe the Philosopher's Stone is an amplifier for alchemic energy. There __**was**__ mention of 'ancient methods', after all. That's a common term for alchemy from folks that don't know it._

He hated to pile more on Alphonse, but if the Philosopher's Stone could help them, it was worth it. He doubted his brother was allowed to help tear down the wards, anyway.

Edward decided to use the Owlry to send his brother a letter asking if he could find the books about it and look it up, while he tried to find information in Hogwarts.

Nobody ever said that Edward Elric couldn't multitask, after all. He had three main goals, and one of them _had_ to be fulfilled by the end of the school year, else his brother would miss out on Hogwarts.

The other two were just as important, but all three would still require the proper matrix.

With that in mind, Edward went back to his work. The way he figured it, this was much more important, and he could worry about his studies when he solved these problems staring him back in the face.

* * *

The library had a few students in it this time, since all years had free time after dinner; a couple of older Ravenclaw students, and Hermione filled the room with Madam Pince. All of them sat at various tables; the two older Ravenclaws sat together, and Hermione sat by herself.

Edward and Harry, however, were just as happy to be in the isles, particularly since Hermione was in their house.

"Okay…here's another book on numbers." Edward handed said book down to Harry.

Harry took it and dropped it on the pile of three books they had already accumulated, then looked up. "Going to tell me why you went to the Owlry after dinner?"

"Mm…had a thought and wanted Al to see if he could find a book on Flamel."

"Flamel? Wasn't he the maker of the Philosopher's Stone?" Harry recalled what he had read on the back of the Chocolate Frog card. He probably had read about it at the Elric house, as well, but he was more into the actual practice of alchemy than theories.

"Yep. There's nothing _on_ the stone, but if we can find it or Flamel…well, we'd have a great amplifier." Edward grinned, his voice low so as not to let anyone overhear.

"You figure something out, then?"

"Only in Al's case. And a little in yours…both will hafta get into human transmutation."

Harry frowned. "But…what if you see…whatever it was you saw, last time?"

Edward grinned, but there was no humor in it. "I doubt I'll return, if that's the case."

"No. I won't let you risk yourself like that just to remove the Voldie from me, or even save Al. How do you think we, and Aunt Trisha, will feel if you disappeared or died?"

Edward was startled by the angry tone in Harry's voice. It was the first time he had ever heard Harry angry, actually, so he jumped down from the step stool to face his cousin.

"There has to be a safer way," Harry continued.

"Harry…" Edward didn't know exactly how to explain it. "You know that no healer has been able to cure Al, right? That's cause the…the Gate…essentially took his legs. We ain't gett'n them _back_ unless I can somehow pull them out from inside there. That's why I'm try'n to see if the Philosopher's Stone can act as an amplifier, since it was created by alchemy, I think. If I have an amplifier, I might be able to return."

Harry crossed his arms with a frown. "I don't like it."

"I know you don't, but there's really no other choice."

"What about transfiguration? Surely there's something in there. I mean, it goes around the entire equivalent exchange law."

Edward paused, then sighed. "Only if I can find a way to incorporate the magical essence that goes into transfiguration work into an alchemy matrix."

"Go for it, then. Maybe we should look for some books on higher level transfiguration, or ask McGonagall."

"No way…we can't ask McGonagall. She'd wonder why a couple first years wanna know how to do transfiguration on a living subject. Too much explaining."

Harry conceded the point, and nodded reluctantly. He was, however, happy that he seemed to have sparked an idea in Edward, and might have steered him off a more dangerous, more than likely forbidden, path.

…for now.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	18. Surprise in Potions

Blah, blah…I don't own either Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist, blah blah…

Remember Draco? Yea…he's in this chapter, along with Snape. I couldn't just leave the infamous Potions scene out, but there are some slight changes…

Read on!

* * *

Chapter 18: Surprise in Potions

Double Potions with Slytherin house was usually something that made Gryffindors groan and moan. However, Edward and Harry hadn't seen Draco since the Sorting, so they were eager to see what their friend was up to.

Though, they guiltily admitted to themselves that they hadn't much thought of their friend, nor Winry, since they started to do research.

The two were a bit surprised to find that, when they entered the dungeons, Draco had a seat up front at the four-person work station, by himself. There were other Slytherins behind him, and the Gryffindors that had entered the room early were on the other side of the room.

"Segregation, much?" Edward muttered to Harry.

"Why's Draco by himself?" Harry wondered in response.

Edward shrugged. "Who knows…but we ain't gonna let him stay that way!"

Harry grinned, and the two all but ran into the room.

"Hey, Draco!" Edward called loudly.

Harry was vaguely aware of some Gryffindors whispering to each other, and saw that Ron's jaw had dropped. The Slytherins were just as shocked that a couple Gryffindors were over on their side of the room, let alone talking to the Malfoy pariah.

Draco blinked as Edward slid in next to him, followed by Harry. "What are you two _doing_?"

"Sitting with you, of course. Duh!" Edward grinned.

Harry smiled as well.

Draco glanced behind him, then leaned over the table. "You'll be hexed! _They_…" He indicated to the Slytherins behind him, who had an empty work station between the first row with Slytherins in it and Draco. "…don't like me. They don't like you, either, Potter."

"Why not? I didn't do anything to them…" Harry frowned in confusion.

Draco shrugged. "Loads of them had parents sent to Azkaban when You-Know-Who was defeated. Misplaced anger and all that."

"So, why shouldn't we sit with you, then?" Edward asked as if he didn't understand the situation. On the flipside, he understood it perfectly well, and thought that such prejudice was stupid. By the look on Harry's face, his cousin thought the same.

"We're your friends…we're sitting here. It's completely daft to hate someone because of their family," Harry stated.

Edward nodded in agreement.

Draco stared, slack-jawed, at them. Then, he composed himself, and muttered, "Mental, the both of you."

Edward snickered. "But that's what makes us so lovable!"

Draco wrinkled his nose. "Don't push it, Elric."

"Ed. If we're friends, we call each other by first name. I'm Ed, and he's Harry."

Draco, again, looked like he had been blindsided, but finally nodded. "Very well, Ed. And Harry."

The cousins grinned from one to the other.

Harry was a little nervous what with the whispers from both sides of the room that were directed at him, but he felt safer next to Edward, who always protected him. That, and he wasn't really as afraid of kids his own age, as he was adults looking to harm him.

All conversation was halted when the dungeon door opened with a loud BANG, and the form of Severus Snape stomped into the room and paused at the front of the class.

For a moment, Snape stared at their work station as if he was trying to figure out just what he was seeing. Then, his lip curled unpleasantly, and he moved to take attendance.

"Cheerful bloke…" Edward muttered under his breath.

Harry smiled weakly, and Draco had to resist a snort of laughter. Even if Snape was his godfather, Edward had a point…and he knew that his godfather wasn't fond of anyone with the last name of "Potter".

Things seemed alright, except for a slight, uneasy pause when Snape had called Harry's name, as the Potions Master went into a lengthy explanation about brewing fame and bottling glory, and all in between calling them morons.

Though, Edward perked up a bit at the mention of "putting a stopper on death". The boy's mind was whirring. _Sure, the healers at St. Mungo's could have tried it, but what if there's a potion that could help separate souls, or enhance alchemic power? There's the Wolfsbane potion Remus takes…he says it makes the wolf calm and compliant, and he can keep his own mind. Well, why can't there be a potion that can help separate souls enough to be pulled out with alchemy? There are methods for attaching souls to inanimate objects, after all…_

Wasn't potions considered a division of alchemy? There were potion sets and all sorts of brewing items on one of the desks in the study, obviously for the sole purpose of brewing. Could the answer lie within potions…?

Edward's musings were interrupted when he realized that Snape had wandered over to their station, and was glaring down at Harry.

"…our new _celebrity._"

Snickers went up behind them from the Slytherin crowd, and Harry was starting to lose some color on his face.

No doubt, the greasy bat reminded him of his Uncle Vernon with how he leered. Yes, Snape helped save him, but it was always McGonagall that followed up, and it appeared as if the rescue had been a burden for Snape.

"Tell me, Mister Potter, where I would look if I wanted to find a bezoar?"

Bewildered, Harry tried to think back to some of the mentions of potions in some of the books in Hoenheim's study, but couldn't remember much of it. Once again, he had been more interested in the practical use of alchemy rather than any potions involvement, unlike Edward, who dutifully read through every book he could.

Edward knew what a bezoar _was_, but didn't know where to find one.

Snape sneered. "Don't know?"

Harry opened his mouth, then closed it again. The man was just so _close_ to him, and looking at him with that glint of hatred again…he felt his hands start to tremble slightly.

"Clearly, fame isn't everything, is it, Mister Potter?" Snape seemed to be enjoying himself, in some sick way.

Draco couldn't look at his godfather, nor could he bear to see what effect the man was having on Harry. The other kids in the room, mostly the Slytherins, enjoyed seeing a Gryffindor being picked on, particularly Harry Potter.

Hermione's hand had shot up at the question, but most of the other Gryffindor students looked slightly upset at the professor's treatment of Harry.

Edward couldn't take the fear on Harry's face, and decided to stick up for Harry. He said he would, after all…even if the bully was a teacher. "How should _we_ know? We're first years, and haven't learned anyth'n, yet. Sides…if we wanted a bezoar at Hogwarts, we could just ask you, since you prolly have one in storage. Though, considering that it's an antidote to just about every poison, I hope that question ain't a hint of some'n, sir."

Snape instantly spun on the cheeky boy, though he had paused to glare at some Gryffindors that snickered. "I suggest, Mister Elric, that you watch your mouth while in my classroom. Ten points from Gryffindor."

Edward didn't make any sort of reaction to that. He didn't care about house points if Snape was bulling his cousin. He had even scooted forward in his seat a bit and leaned on the work station to attempt to put more distance between Snape and Harry.

Snape continued to glare down his large nose at Edward, who stared back defiantly, as if daring Snape to try and pick on Harry.

_Not while I'm sitting here!_

Draco had a conflicted look on his face, as if he was debating whether or not to say something. He knew his godfather hated anyone named "Potter", but if he had learned anything, it was that kids shouldn't be considered "guilty by association" for something their parents did. He, obviously, had no intentions of becoming a Death Eater, after all, or joining his nasty father in Azkaban.

The Slytherin had to give Edward credit for standing up to the imposing figure of Snape, particularly when the man had a look on his face as if he was staring at some sort of cockroach that just crawled out of a dumpster.

Snape opened his mouth as his eyes slid to look at Harry, and Draco surprised himself.

"Is it true, professor?" Draco blurted before he thought about it. _What am I doing? I'm a Slytherin, not a bloody Gryffindor! What does it matter if he bullies Harry?_

…besides that Harry and Edward were the first people to ever approach Draco with a friendly word. They even sat next to him even though he was the Slytherin pariah. They were, dare he say it…_friends_.

Snape glanced at his godson, and some of the mean look dropped as he raised an eyebrow.

"About the bezoar. Can it really cure most any poison?" Draco finished nervously.

Snape paused a moment, then seemed to finally heave a mental sigh as he stood stiffly once again and stepped back. "Yes. It's a stone that can be found in the stomach of a goat."

Silence filled the room for a moment, which was a moment too long for Snape.

"Well? Why aren't you all writing this down?" Snape bellowed at the class.

Instantly, there was a rustle of parchment and clothing as the kids scrambled to do as they were told.

Edward grinned at Draco as Snape stormed back to the front of the room. "Thanks, pal!"

Draco blinked, then shook his head, still confused by his own actions. He noticed that Harry, too, was giving him a look of gratitude. Both looks were ones he wasn't used to, and he wasn't quite sure how to respond. It didn't feel _bad_…instead, it felt rather good.

Edward and Harry seemed to understand his reluctance, and just gave him smiles before they turned to their notes.

Change was in the air, and someone would have to be daft not to notice it...

* * *

...Particularly when it came to the practical portion. Snape wasn't much of a lecture teacher, to which most of the class was grateful. Though, kids like Edward would have preferred a little theory, to be honest.

However, Snape just magicked a list of ingredients on the board, along with the page numbers, and told them to work in pairs and complete the potion by the end of the class period.

Edward and Harry clapped hands together with a grin, then both paused as they looked around.

Nobody wanted to pair with Draco, and somehow, all the Slytherins managed to pair with one another without having to include the pariah.

Likewise, none of the Gryffindors seemed to want anything to do with Hermione, who was left standing uncertainly at her work station, near tears.

Snape, since he wasn't about to come down on Draco, turned with a sneer to the girl that hadn't started working. "Is there a problem, Miss Granger? Or are the instructions too difficult for your tiny mind to comprehend?"

Edward felt a swell of anger rush through him. Sure, he didn't rightly _know_ Hermione, but she was his housemate, and he hated bullying, regardless. So, he turned to Harry and said, "How bout you pair with Hermione, and I'll work with Draco? Get Snape off her back."

Harry nodded, but before they could put the plan into action, Draco stopped them.

"Wait. Do that, and it'll be nonstop belittling. Out of the two of you, he hates Harry the most…he should work with me, since Snape likes me," Draco whispered to them.

Edward beamed. "Awesome plan!"

Draco seemed to preen a bit at the compliment.

Before Snape could actually reduce Hermione to tears, Edward switched seats with Harry and called across the entire classroom.

"OY! Hermione! You can work with me!"

Snape spun around to rebuke the boy for shouting across the dungeons, but stopped short when he saw his godson paired with Dumbledore's Golden Boy. He knew the other Slytherins weren't too happy with Draco, since he made it clear he didn't wish to follow in his father's footsteps, and after being bullied, himself, didn't wish to do so to someone else. He had the ambition of a Slytherin, but not the mean streak that plenty of them were known for.

However, Snape didn't know that Potter and his godson had become friends, so it was startling to see them together.

Thus, he said nothing when Hermione quickly wiped her eyes and gathered her things, then rushed over to the work station.

Edward grinned at her and set up his cauldron. "We'll have the best grade of the class!"

Draco raised a brow. "Really, Edward? Are you sure about that?"

Edward smirked as he caught the light of friendly challenge in not only Draco's eyes, but Harry's as well. "We'll see. Genius versus genius!"

Harry snorted on laughter, and turned to get started. "Prepare to eat our dust, Ed."

"The end of class shall tell!" Edward just snickered in response, then turned to the stunned Hermione. "Ready?"

Hermione nodded, slightly bewildered by the conversation. She, like the rest of the Gryffindors, had been shocked to see two of her own housemates sitting with a Slytherin. Not just any Slytherin, either…but Draco Malfoy, whose father was sent to Azkaban on the public charge of being a Death Eater. It was mind boggling, but she wasn't against second chances.

Hermione and Draco soon found out that, though the two of them also had a penchant for potions (or, at least, following directions), they had nothing on Harry and Edward, who were precise down to a pinch of an ingredient.

The two moved with practiced ease, and though they were obviously prodigies, they still kept in mind their partners, and even showed them some tricks to cut up the materials or measure them more accurately.

Needless to say, Draco and Hermione were both impressed.

"We mess around in the old man's study sometimes," Edward whispered to Hermione, and he was sure Harry was telling Draco the same thing. "The Trace on us is just for _magic_…says noth'n on potions." _Or alchemy, which is too old a form of magic to be traced…and potions are sometimes needed in alchemy. I still need to try and find some advanced potions books and see if there are any mention of amplifiers. Maybe I should owl Al again…_

"It's brilliant…" Hermione breathed. "Really, I didn't expect anyone to have opened up a text before coming here. Thought I was the only one."

Edward shrugged. "The old man dabbled into potions…so, we often snuck in with my younger brother. Not like he was home to stop us…"

Hermione realized this was a subject best left alone, and dropped it.

Draco, too, didn't question it.

Snape, who had been roaming the room, wanted so much to come down on Harry and Edward. However, there were a couple problems.

The first, was that Draco was his godson, and to insult Harry's work would be to insult Draco's. Second, was that Harry was actually being eerily accurate with his measurements, and making sure that all steps were done correctly.

…_like his mother…_

The easier of the groups would have been Edward and Hermione, but there were problems with them, as well. He knew that he could easily rile up Edward, but he couldn't criticize a perfect potion, and thus far, the potion the two Gryffindors had going was exactly the right color and smell for the step they were on. Edward, as well, measured meticulously, and Hermione was also a perfectionist.

Snape snarled, angry that he couldn't insult a Potter or the cheeky Elric boy. Thus, he swept away to pick at the other Gryffindors…something he found much easier, as Ron and Seamus were struggling, and if Dean had any potions prowess, it would be impossible to tell with how badly Neville was messing up.

In fact, if Snape hadn't decided to leave Potter and Elric alone and go over, there would have been an injured student (or more), and a melted cauldron. Still, it was a close call, and the fumes made a few students nearby gag and cough.

"Five points from Gryffindor," Snape muttered as he Banished the mess that was the potion. "For the remainder of class, you two are to write down the steps of creating this potion, and what could go wrong if not followed."

Dean sighed, but complied. Neville looked about ready to cry, but sat down and pulled out a parchment and quill.

Snape strode around the room, mostly trying to intimidate the other Gryffindor students, though he had to Banish the potion Crabbe and Goyle were working on, lest they blow up the entire room. He didn't take points from his own house, nor make them write. He just told them to sit there quietly until the end of class.

This earned him some glares from the Gryffindor side, but that just made him smirk. It wasn't nearly as satisfying as putting Potter down would be, but it would have to suffice.

Though, his good mood was dropped at the end of class when he realized that the Elric-Granger team and the Malfoy-Potter team had brewed perfect potions. He couldn't give them a low mark and expect to get away with it if the kids complained to their parents or Dumbledore.

The unfortunate class after theirs was going to be dealing with one overly nasty Potions Master, that was for sure.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	19. Quarrels and Quirrell

More disclaimer stuffs…

Okie, first things first, I'm not trying to bash Ron, or make him out to be a bully or a bad guy. Just keep in mind Ron's character; he was brought up in a pureblood family, and one greatly opposed to Voldemort. He learned through his family to hate Slytherins (as apparent due to his attitude in canon), and doesn't take kindly to being left out of something or a large change (such as Edward and Harry hanging around Draco; Gryffindors around a Slytherin).

If putting Draco's father in prison could make him more agreeable, then Ron not meeting Harry during the train ride could change entire viewpoints and feelings.

Also, thank you to Fuocoso for pointing out that I had been misspelling Hermione's name (mixing up the "o" and "i"); it's all been fixed in previous chapters, and changed from now on. ^^

That's all…onto the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 19: Quarrels and Quirrell 

Lunch, which was shortly after Potions, brought a couple of things for them.

First, was the Daily Prophet newspaper. Neither Edward nor Harry had a subscription to it, but apparently, Alphonse felt a need to send it with the book (which thankfully had no words on the cover, so it was indistinguishable).

After a look at it, Edward pulled Harry's robe and showed him the article, his voice low as he whispered, "No wonder he sent this…I wrote the letter in our code, so he knew what I was looking for."

Harry scanned the article, his eyes wide. "A break-in at Gringotts? Vault 713…know what could be in it?"

Edward glanced from side to side. The only one near them was Hermione, and she seemed to be half focused on her food, and half on her Defense Against the Dark Arts book, since that's what they had next.

Edward then whispered to his cousin, "Al thinks it might be an amplifier. It's something powerful, at least. He heard mom talking to Dumbledore over a secured floo network, and it was mentioned that something of great importance was taken from Gringotts and brought to Hogwarts by Hagrid."

Harry blinked incredulously. "_Hagrid_? Were they _trying_ to flaunt what they were doing? Nothing against the guy, he seems nice, but he's _huge_."

"That's what tipped Al off. And, look…_Dark witches or wizards_. We already know, thanks to the Voldie you've got, that a certain someone ain't dead. If these are his followers…an amplification item could help him regain a body."

Harry's mouth formed into a grim line. Then, he paled. "Does that mean…he's here? At Hogwarts?"

Edward shrugged. "Dumbledore would have known, I bet, if he was. We've got a secret weapon against him, so no worries. I doubt he's strong enough to do more than leech offa folks."

"Someone that works for him?"

"Well, Draco's dad is in Azkaban for being a Death Eater…that arrest wasn't too long ago. Others claimed they were forced, or did it under mind control."

Harry nodded, as he had remembered being told that. "Shouldn't we…stay away from this, then?"

"Probably…" though he said it, the look on Edward's face said otherwise.

"You want to find out."

It wasn't a question.

"If it's a strong amplifier, then there's a possibility of healing Al. I'm still working on what needs to be done about your Voldie. We're talk'n separating souls. It's possible to attach a soul to an inanimate object, so I suppose it'd be within the realm of possibility to remove the Voldie and fix it to…say…a piece of armor or something. But without something to amplify that…" Edward didn't finish.

No matter what he said or thought, he really didn't want to see the Gate again. A strong enough amplifier might allow him to take back Al's ability to walk without sacrificing anything else, but for separating souls? He hadn't the foggiest. Since it had to do with the mind-body-soul link, it was probably considered human alchemy, however, and he didn't want the Gate to show up.

Harry suddenly nodded. "I agree, and I'll help. I want to help Al, too. Even if it can't do anything for the Voldie, I want to help Al."

Edward gave him a grateful smile, then pulled the book over after giving the owl a piece of bacon. "Then, we've got some reading to do. This is a book on amplifiers. I'll need to make another trip to the Hogwarts library, and ask Al if he could find any, for advanced potions books."

"What for?"

"Amplifiers. Maybe there's some sort of potion that can be sprinkled in a matrix in order to amplify it. Even powerful amplifiers were once potions, like Red Water…ya know, that one forbidden thing I told ya about that Al and I had read from the old man's notes years ago."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Alright. I'm in."

"Great! We have Defense Against the Dark Arts next, but we've got some free time after dinner again. I guess that'll be our library time."

Harry chuckled. "Homework?"

Edward shrugged with a grin. "What homework?"

Harry laughed. "We're going to flunk out…"

"Naw. Just get bad homework grades. When Al is cured and your Voldie is destroyed, then we can focus more on our grades. Sides…we've still got plenty of years of Hogwarts ahead of us. No need to rush it."

Harry snickered. "And you wonder why the Sorting Hat didn't put you in Ravenclaw?"

Edward laughed. "Actually, I'm wondering why it didn't put me in Slytherin!"

Harry chuckled as Edward took a moment to write his reply to Alphonse, being careful to use the code that the three boys were now familiar with in case the letter was intercepted.

After all, they were meddling in what the adults should be taking care of, with regards to the possibility of Flamel's research, not to mention the amplifier that was probably in Hogwarts.

As for Al's treatment, however, that rested solely on the shoulders of Edward and Harry. Perhaps Izumi could help them, but she didn't like to flaunt her abilities with alchemy, and she wasn't nearly as good at it as Edward was. The only other person that could help them had been missing for years, so it fell on the boys.

Edward finished tying the message to the owl. "Okay…straight to Al!"

The family owl hooted, then took off.

The boys only had a couple moments to slip the book into Edward's satchel before they were confronted by Ron and Seamus.

"What the bloody hell was that about?" Ron was the first to say something.

The cousins stared at him blankly.

"Answering mail," Edward replied as if Ron was a moron.

Ron shook his head.

Seamus interjected, a frown on his face, "We _mean_, what 'appened in Potions. The Malfoy family were _Death Eaters_! Hi' dad's got a life sentence in Azkaban fer it! Plus, they're _Slytherin_. You can't just go 'round make'n friends with that lot!"

"Why not?" Edward stared at them challengingly.

"We just said it!" Ron shook his head. "You two are _mental_ to talk to a Slytherin like that! They're evil! There hasn't been a bad witch or wizard that hadn't come from Slytherin!"

Harry frowned, and Edward glared.

However, the one that spoke was Hermione, who sat next to them. "I don't see the problem with whom they associate with, as long as it doesn't harm anyone. Besides, what about Sirius Black?"

"What _about_ him?" Ron crossed his arms.

Hermione rolled her eyes and leaned over the table. "He was in Gryffindor, and he was a follower of You-Know-Who."

"So? One out of…'ow many?" Seamus shook his head.

"Besides, we weren't talking to _you_," Ron snapped at the girl.

"Hey, back off," Harry was surprised to find that he was the one to say such.

"Yea. She's a bloody genius, and open minded, which is more than I can say bout you two. I like Draco better'n you both at the moment." Edward was on his feet so that he wouldn't be too short in comparison with the other boys.

Ron flushed red.

"Just try'n ta help ya, mate." Seamus' expression, however, was sour. "They're a bad lot."

"And we're your family, since we're Gryffindor!" Ron added.

"Sorry…my family isn't prejudiced against someone just because of who their parents were, or what house they're in." Edward rolled his eyes.

Harry nodded.

Ron colored again. "Look, we're just _saying_…"

"And _we _are just saying," Edward interrupted waspishly, "that we'll be friends with whoever we want! If we wanna be friends with Draco, we're bloody well gonna be! If we agree that Hermione has every right to speak her mind, then we're gonna!"

The redness went all the way to Ron's ears. "You're making a mistake…"

"Yea," Seamus agreed.

"Oh, I'm scared." Edward pretended to tremble, then sat back down in a gesture of dismissal and that he wasn't afraid of the two. "Conversation is now over, you've ruined our lunch. Mind buggering off?"

"It's our table, too!" Ron argued.

"It's a big table," Harry stated. "You needn't sit near us."

Edward sighed, then leaned over and gave his best "evil grin", as his brother called his toothy smile. "If I were you two, I'd sod off. We're not try'n to make enemies. Walk away now, and we'll forget this ever happened."

Ron and Seamus didn't want to back down, and instead, made to sit across from them.

"No," came the consensus from both.

Edward rolled his eyes and glanced at Harry for a diversion. They had the wall behind them, so nobody would see what he was about to do…and it would serve them right.

Harry caught the look and turned to the two. "I don't see why you're making a big deal about this."

"You're Harry Potter, and that's wicked, but you shouldn't 'ang out with the wrong sort of people," Seamus stated.

Harry's eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward, which mostly covered the discharge of energy that Edward had unleashed under the table. "Ed's my _cousin_, I'll have you know. I _live_ with him."

Edward stood up and stretched. "C'mon, Harry. Let's go sit somewhere else. You can come, too, if you want, Hermione."

"Back'n down? And you call yerself a Gryffindor?" Seamus exclaimed.

Edward smirked as he shouldered his bag. "Keep this in mind, Finnigan…it takes great courage to know when to back down and regroup." _Besides…you won't be following us. Have fun!_

Hermione, shocked to be included, really didn't want to stick around Ron and Seamus, since she had caught them whispering nastily about her on more than one occasion. Thus, with a happy flush, she stood up and followed the two boys. "What's to keep them from following?"

She didn't receive an answer, and didn't press further when she noticed the widening of the toothy grin on Edward's face.

* * *

Edward and Harry had to hold in their laughter when Seamus and Ron turned up ten minutes late for Defense, both red faced.

Hermione glanced at the cousins from where she sat in the row across from them next to a Ravenclaw girl named Winry, but had no idea what they had done to warrant such impish grins and the low-fives of success.

"A-and wh-why a-are you t-two l-late?" Quirrell stammered.

If anything, the two boys turned even redder.

However though he was a stammering mess, Quirrell was still a teacher, so it was Ron that finally mumbled the reason.

"We…had to get unstuck from our chairs. Someone must've hexed us, cause our trousers were actually joined with the seat…"

Snickers went up from the class.

Winry looked over at the cousins with a "you didn't" look.

Edward and Harry shrugged innocently.

Winry sighed as the class laughed.

"What did they do?" Hermione caught the exchange.

"Let's just say that they're responsible for it…though, I think it's more of Ed's work than Harry's…" Winry muttered.

"You know a lot about them…" Hermione only dared talk during class because Quirrell was still trying to get the laughing class under control.

"Mm. Just about grew up with them." Winry sent a glare at the boys, but they just grinned in response.

"Wicked," Harry whispered to Edward.

"Nobody saw, nobody knows. They won't get off talk'n like that to _my_ cousin!" Edward beamed. "…or me, either!"

Harry chuckled. "You going to let me stand up for myself one of these days?"

"You did a fair job back there." Edward flushed.

Harry grinned, then looked up…and clutched at his scar with a hiss of pain since he wound up staring right at the back of Quirrell's turban.

Edward looked over in concern. "What is it?"

"Dunno…just started hurting…" Harry rubbed it and looked at Edward. Almost at once, the pain faded to a dull ache.

"When'd it start?" Edward asked, now serious.

"Just a moment ago, when I looked up at the front of the room at Professor Quirrell."

Edward frowned in thought. _The scar is a Horcrux with a piece of Voldemort's soul in it. Could it…react to other pieces, or to a whole? Or even to Death Eaters?_

"Ed?" Harry whispered worriedly as Quirrell began to stammer about some nonsense once again, avoiding the gazes of most of the students.

"I'm gonna quick Probe him," Edward stated, then extended his reach. He was almost afraid to do so, what with the sneaking suspicion of what Harry's reaction could mean.

It was just a quick Probe, but it was almost enough to make him fall out of his seat. Luckily, not only were they in the back of the room, but Edward had a vice-like grip on the table.

Harry saw his cousin's face pale considerably, and the amber eyes widen. "What?"

"Snake…it's the snake…" Edward mumbled, then looked at Harry. He tried to wipe the frightened expression from his face for his cousin's sake, but it was difficult. Even without a full Probe, he _knew_ that feeling.

It was the same feeling in Harry's scar.

"We need to tell Dumbledore," Edward whispered frantically. "_Now_."

"About _what_? What did you find?" Harry was seconds away from drawing a matrix to find out, himself, when Edward put a trembling hand on his arm.

"Either Quirrell is another Voldie, or…" Edward had trouble saying it, but finally managed to get it out in a whisper that only Harry could hear, "…or he's the real deal."

Harry paled as well, then shook his head. "How are we going to get out of class? It's just started!"

Edward gave him a nod. "Follow my lead." With that, he prepared himself…and slipped off of his chair.

Quirrell blinked and looked over. "Wh-what is g-g-going on b-back there?"

Edward pulled himself up with obvious effort. His face was still pale from the Probe, and either it was sweat that ran down his face, or he had spread saliva on his cheeks and forehead. He kept his eyes wide, and trembled. "I…suddenly don't feel well…"

Harry stood up with concern plastered on his face, making sure not to look _directly_ at Quirrell. Years at the Dursley house taught him how to make it look like he was making eye contact, when he really wasn't. "I'll escort him to the Hospital Wing, sir! Wouldn't do to have him pass out on the way!"

Quirrell hesitated, then nodded. "V-very w-well. Y-you're both r-responsible f-for the homework."

"Yes, sir." Harry gathered up his things and ignored the stares from Hermione and Winry.

Edward also gathered his things, and knew that Winry was more concerned than Hermione, since she had seen Edward react that way before. In fact, Winry's eyes screamed at him for an explanation.

Edward shook his head in response to the silent question, though he made sure to make it look like he was trying to clear dizziness away.

Harry took Edward's arm to make it more realistic, and the two hurried out of the room.

As soon as the door closed, they both exchanged looks, and ran down the corridors towards the Headmaster's office, where they had both had to visit at the start of the term to be told not to use their alchemy except for dire situations.

"Are you positive about it?" Harry panted as they ran.

"Absolutely positive." Edward wiped his face with his sleeve.

Harry realized that it hadn't been saliva, but actual beads of sweat that had probably appeared during the Probe.

"Great follow-up, by the way." Edward smiled, which looked more of a grimace on his pale face.

"Great acting," Harry countered with an equally weak smile. "Maybe you _should_ have been in Slytherin. The Hat wanted to put me there, too, due to the Voldie."

"Eh, the Hat can go get treated for head lice. We have bigger concerns."

The two managed some strangled chuckles before they quickened their pace towards the Headmaster's office, and hoped that the offer of bringing any problems to him hadn't changed since last they had to visit just the other day.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	20. Investigations and Fluffy

I don't own any of this!

I had to keep some of the scene with Fluffy in there; I particularly liked Hermione's "priorities" concerning the dog (expulsion over being killed), and wanted that to remain.

Also, for the reason Dumbledore is telling them about something he normally wouldn't have…it's because they've already done research, and someone like Dumbledore would know that having half the information could be even more deadly than having all of it.

To answer the question someone asked about Snape…one little incident wouldn't change his mind. If Harry had been taken to an orphanage, then perhaps, but Harry was placed with the Elrics, who knew the Marauders when they went to school and in the Order. Thus, he still just sees a mini James Potter in the boy right now.

Plus, if he was nice(r) to them, that particular chapter wouldn't have been as fun to write, nor as good for Draco's character development as it was.

* * *

Chapter 20: Investigations and Fluffy

"Did you know there was a password?" Edward asked Harry as the two stood in front of the gargoyle that refused to let them pass until they gave the correct password.

The first time they had come to Dumbledore's office, McGonagall had already been coming down, so they hadn't needed the password.

"No. I'm guessing you didn't, either."

"Well, damn…" Edward muttered and crossed his arms. "What d'you think it could be?"

Harry shrugged. "What do we know about Dumbeldore?"

The two looked at the ceiling, then both suddenly grinned and pointed at each other with the exclamation of "candy!".

In the few times Dumbledore had visited them, and the one time they were in his office, he was always offering them some sort of candy. Remus had even told them a story of how the Marauders practically had tea and candy with Dumbledore at least once a week from detentions.

"Okay…it's a candy! Let's see…" Edward thought a moment, then looked at the gargoyle and said, "Lemon Drop!"

No movement.

"Licorice Snap!" Harry tried.

Again, nothing.

The two exchanged frustrated looks, then started firing off every candy, muggle and wizarding, they could think of.

"Jelly Beans!"

"Ice Mice!"

"Licorice Wands!"

"Pumpkin Pasties!"

"Skittles!"

"Gumdrops!"

"Acid Pops!"

"Jolly Ranchers!"

"Gumballs!"

"Sweedish Fish!"

"Chocolate!"

Harry glanced at Edward. "That's not really a 'candy'…"

Edward shrugged. "It's sorta a candy…it's a dessert."

Then, they resumed shouting at the gargoyle.

"Ice cream!"

"Pudding!"

"Chocolate Frogs!"

"Jelly Slugs!"

"Treacle Tart!"

"Cauldron Cakes!"

"Fudge Flies!"

"Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans!"

"Cockroach Clusters!"

"Gummy Bears!"

Edward turned incredulously to Harry, but before he could say anything, the gargoyle moved to permit their entry.

The two boys stared at it in stunned silence for a few moments.

"…seriously? _Gummy Bears_?" Edward finally muttered as the spiral staircase was revealed.

"I was half joking with that one, actually…" Harry muttered as the two stepped forward to climb the stairs.

They came to a large door, but that was to be expected at a school like Hogwarts.

The boys exchanged looks, then Edward knocked on the door.

After a moment, a familiar voice sounded. "Enter."

Harry pushed open the door, and the two walked into the office, and up to the desk where Dumbledore sat.

The man's eyes twinkled at them, and for a brief moment, the cousins wondered if he knew they had been trying to get into his office.

"Have a seat." Dumbledore waved his wand and conjured up two chairs in front of the desk.

Once the boys were seated, the old man looked from one to the other. "Now, I expect there's a good explanation why you're both here and not in class…?"

That spurred the two into action again, the hilarity of the password problem quickly gone.

"We think Quirrell has something to do with Voldemort!" Harry blurted.

Dumbledore's smile dropped, but only slightly. "Really?"

"I Probed him…short Probe, cause Harry's scar started to hurt when he looked at Quirrell's back." Edward flushed a bit, since he wasn't supposed to Probe anyone, short or full, without permission. "It's a habit, sir! I wanna make sure nobody's gonna hurt Harry!"

Dumbledore held up his hand. "I'm not upset with you, child. Now, how do you know it's Voldemort, and that you aren't just sensing darkness? Professor Quirrell has returned from a traumatic experience with a dark creature over the summer…"

"It was like Harry's scar," Edward stated firmly. "I don't usually get images and such when I do a quick Probe, but there was definitely that snake…and it felt _exactly_ like the Voldemort layer in Harry."

Harry looked up at the old man. "Could Quirrell be another Horcrux?"

Dumbledore leaned back. "No, he's not."

"Then…" Edward gulped. "I mean, we heard that Voldemort prolly wasn't dead, but…"

Harry felt just as nervous, and a little betrayed, since Dumbledore didn't seem at all shocked by their discovery. _How could he let Quirrell in if he's such a danger?_

"Quirrell is not Voldemort, however, there is suspicion that he's working for him."

Edward didn't look satisfied. "Okay, I've never really Probed a Death Eater, but that feel'n was _definitely_ Voldemort, himself! Like the piece in Harry! If I could feel it that strongly _without_ a full Probe, then…the only conclusion I can draw is…is that…somehow, Voldemort is in Quirrell."

Dumbledore steepled his fingers. "Have you two told anyone else about this?"

"No, sir." Harry shook his head. "We came straight here after Ed Probed him." There was an undertone of hurt in his voice, and Edward picked up on it.

"You know, don't you. That he has some connection with Voldemort. You know, but you've allowed him in the school…allowed him to teach Harry, who he's gotta have a grudge against…" Edward scowled.

Dumbledore sighed. "You children are very perceptive. However, think of it this way…I'd rather have him where I can see what he's doing and know what he's up to, rather than gathering his strength outside my range."

Edward hesitated. It made sense to him, but… "…that's a big risk. What's stopping him from attacking Harry."

Dumbledore smiled. "Quite a few things. I have faith that he won't do anything around others, or under my nose while I'm in the castle. I will impress on you boys to stay within boundaries, then."

"Yes, sir…" the two mumbled, not quite satisfied with the answer.

"The other reason, and I wasn't going to explain this until another time…is that if Voldemort is any sort of part of Quirrell, then he cannot even lay a finger on Harry without dire consequences."

"Consequences?" Harry questioned, and Edward looked up curiously as well.

"When your mother, and father, sacrificed themselves to protect you, it created a bond of Old Magic. That was why Voldemort was unable to harm you ten years ago; it was love that created the most powerful magic, which is something that Voldemort cannot possibly comprehend."

"Love…huh?" Edward frowned. _Not that it helped any back then…_

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, I'm no expert in alchemy. My experiences are only those that dealt with the alchemy of ancient potion making."

Edward nearly jumped at how the old man seemed to read his mind, then looked away and mumbled a "never mind". It had been love that drove Edward and Alphonse to heal their mother…though, now that he thought about it, maybe it was that love that kept them all alive. Worse for the wear, in Alphonse's case, but alive.

Harry, though, was back on the topic at hand. "So…Voldemort can't hurt me, then? But what should I do in Quirrell's class? Surely I can't skip them…someone would get suspicious, namely him."

"I suggest sitting in the back and keeping your eyes off of him. I suppose you were somewhere near the back?"

"In the middle…"

Dumbledore gave him a nod. "Stay near the back. Just remember, however, that he cannot harm you while I'm around. Do you understand, Harry?"

"Yes, sir." Harry didn't look too convinced, but when Edward gave him a tap on the shoulder, he was a little more relieved. He didn't know what his cousin planned on doing in the face of the worst evil in the world, but it felt better knowing there were people on their side.

"I presume that you two are supposed to be in the Hospital Wing…"

"How'd you know?" Harry blurted.

Dumbledore chuckled. "With how pale Mister Elric was when you two arrived, I'm sure a little acting was required in front of your classmates."

Both blushed.

"Since neither of you need any medical assistance, you two may return to your dormitory for the remainder of class."

Twin sets of relief were let out.

Then, Harry looked back up. "Um…sir? How…how's the search going? About the Horcruxes, and for Ed's father?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Alas, we have not found a solid trail to Edward's father. As for the Horcruxes…not well in determining how many Horcruxes are out there. However, in what they could be, I have a very good idea with knowing Voldemort's past."

Eyes widened, and the two boys exchanged looks.

"Are you saying…he was once a student?" Harry asked in shock.

"That he was. I suppose you boys are doing your own research?"

Twin flushes were the answer.

"Then I shall warn you…if you come across anything marked 'Tom Marvolo Riddle', to hand it over to myself, Professor McGonagall, or Professor Snape right away."

The two were a bit surprised at the last professor mentioned, but nodded.

"Was that…his name?" Harry hesitated.

Edward snickered. "Course! Who'd name their kid 'Voldemort'? That's like saying 'hey, bullies…come pick on this oddly named kid'!"

The two shared a chuckle, and even Dumbledore joined in.

Dumbledore gave them a nod. "To your dormitory, then."

Both boys stood up and thanked him, then paused and exchanged a look as if they were debating about something.

Finally, Edward turned back around. "Six or seven."

Dumbledore blinked. "Pardon?"

If it hadn't been a serious conversation, the boys would have been astounded that they had managed to confuse a wizard like Dumbledore.

"The number of Horcruxes…we believe it to be either six or seven," Harry explained.

Dumbledore rose. "How do you figure that?"

"We…did some research. On power numbers. There were a few mentioned, but only the numbers 'six' and 'seven' would have had any appeal to a power-hungry snake like Voldemort. The Probe was good for one thing…I was able to take a peek into his core due to it." Edward beamed.

"I see. I will look into that, then. Thank you for sharing it, boys."

The two smiled at each other, then caught a proud smile from Dumbledore and beamed in response before wishing him a good afternoon and hurrying out.

After all, there was more research to be done, and the book that sat in Edward's satchel was a reminder of that.

* * *

Their last subject of the day was Charms with Ravenclaw. This, of course, meant that they would encounter Winry again, who knew that Edward had done _something_ to get out of class.

Winry didn't have a chance to grill the boys during class or before class, since they managed to get in under her radar, but once class was over, she caught up with the two Gryffindors.

"Ed! Harry!" Winry called and marched right up to them. Most everyone else were still gathering their things in class, but the boys had fled as soon as class was dismissed in hopes to avoid the Inquisition from their friend. Hermione was a little ways behind them, since she was also quick to leave class due to having virtually no friends to stay and talk to.

The two boys sighed and continued walking, but looked over their shoulders.

"What, Win?" Edward groaned.

Winry stormed up to them. "Don't give me that! What did you do during Defense? You can fool anyone that doesn't know, but I _know you_, Edward Elric! That was the same look you got during Harry's birthday!"

Edward mumbled something as Harry averted his gaze.

Harry knew Winry could have a temper on her, and was just glad that, so far, he had never been on the receiving end of it. Typically, it was Edward that somehow always managed to tick off the young Rockbell.

"You _what_!" Winry yelped.

"Any louder, Win, and you'll let all the paintings and ghosts know!" Edward gestured around with a frustrated expression.

Winry leaned closer. "I can't believe you Probed a _teacher_!"

"Yea, well…there's some'n go'n on with Quirrell, so it's good I did!" Edward shot back in a low tone.

Harry interrupted before Winry could unleash her anger on the blond. "It's true, Winry. Best be careful around Quirrell. He's not…well, we can't really say, but he's not what he seems."

They hadn't exactly sworn to secrecy, but the way Dumbledore had asked them if they'd told anyone else was certainly a message that they should keep quiet about this if possible.

The boys could understand. After all, who wouldn't freak out, besides them, if they heard that Voldemort was lurking around the castle in Quirrell?

It was a creepy thought, even for the two boys.

Before Winry could say anything, there was a lurch from beneath them, and the three friends, along with Hermione, who was behind them, quickly reached out to grab onto the railing of the stairway.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, worried that Dumbledore was wrong, and that Quirrell was trying something on them.

"I don't know!" Winry gulped.

It was Hermione, who was also caught with them, who answered, "The staircases move, remember?"

"If we did, we wouldn't have panicked…" Edward muttered under his breath as they waited for their staircase to finish revolving. "Dumb idea, moving stairs…"

At the moment, the other three agreed with him.

As soon as the staircase stopped, the three rushed off so they wouldn't be hovering in mid-air when it decided to move again.

The corridor they came to was old and dusty, with a few cobwebs here and there, and also wasn't very well lit.

"Anyone know where we are?" Edward inquired as he tried to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"No, but I think I'd rather a chance with the stairs…" Winry gulped as she looked around.

There weren't even any portraits or suits of armor, and certainly no ghosts around.

"Anyone else get the feeling that we're not supposed to be here?" Harry asked the question on everyone's minds.

"We're _not_," Hermione whispered back. "This is the third floor corridor!"

Winry stopped. "Well, I'm done, then! I'll take my chances with the stairs rather than risk dying a painful death!"

The others looked over when she yelped as she turned around, since she had nearly stepped on a long haired cat with eyes that looked almost as if there were glowing.

"That's the cat Filch was carrying during the feast…" Edward recognized it immediately.

"Mrs. Norris…we were warned about her. Part Kneazle, so she's brilliant. She'll probably go and get Filch, and then we'll have more to worry about than a painful death, here." Winry scowled.

That was all it took for them, and they quickly turned and fled down the corridor as opposed to going towards Mrs. Norris.

Their cover was also blown by a cackling voice shouting, "Students in the third floor corridor!"

"And _that_?" Harry asked as he huffed along.

"Peeves the poltergeist…heard about him from the older students," Hermione responded.

"Wonderful…" Edward muttered sarcastically.

Their only sanctuary from the cackling and shouting poltergeist and yowling Mrs. Norris was a single, large wooden door.

Winry pulled at it, then groaned. "Locked!"

Hermione sighed and pulled out her wand. "_Alohomora!_"

There was a 'click', and they were able to wrestle the heavy door open and slip inside.

"Brilliant," Harry said to Hermione as they closed the door.

Then, they all held their breaths ad they could hear the voice of Argus Filch arguing with Peeves. Apparently, though Peeves liked to cause mischief and tattle, he was also very uncooperative with the staff.

So, much to their relief, Filch eventually left.

Edward had scanned the room while everyone else blew out sighs of relief, and stopped on something he had never seen before.

Now, he had been through and seen a lot in his eleven years of life. He had experienced the Gate and lived to tell the tale with only a bum leg, saw the layer of a werewolf, and felt Voldemort's power.

However, what lay in front of him currently blew all of that out of the water.

Probably because it was a very real threat at the moment.

"Uh…guys?"

"I'm not a 'guy', Ed…" Winry stopped, mid-sentence, when she saw what the problem was.

The giant, three-headed dog was sniffing, and then six pairs of yellow eyes landed on them as three sets of jaws, all with very sharp teeth, were exposed as three lips curled back in a low warning growl.

Hermione had paled, and Winry squeaked. Harry's mouth dropped open.

Edward was probably the only one who still had hits wits about him, and wasn't frozen solid, most likely since he had experienced the terror of the Gate. "RUN!"

That seemed to spur every body in the room into motion. The jaws snapped at them with barks and growls, while the four quickly tumbled from the room.

It took all four of them to push the door closed, and Harry reached up and quickly pulled the latch shut again.

Then, the four took off, and didn't stop running until they got to higher ground, before they would have to split ways.

Nobody was around, thank goodness, to see their desperate flight through the corridors and up stairs.

"Shite…" Edward muttered as he doubled over and gasped for air.

Harry leaned against the wall, breathing hard, and could only nod in agreement.

Winry was gulping down air, and Hermione was also leaning against the wall with her hands on her knees.

"What _was_ that thing?" Winry finally asked.

"Hell if I know…" Harry responded as he attempted to right himself.

"Hell if I know what a bloody three headed dog is doing in a school, too," Edward muttered, then paused in thought. _A three headed dog…dogs are usually used to guard things…_

"You all weren't using your eyes, were you? It was guarding something," Hermione finally stated.

Winry ran a shaky hand through her hair in an attempt to straighten it. "Sorry, but I was more concerned about my _life_ than whatever it was guarding!"

Edward agreed with Hermione. "It was standing on a trap door. Plus, dogs are often used to guard treasures and even homes."

Harry, still a bit pale, looked over sharply at Edward.

Edward glanced back, and his eyes seemed to say it all.

Yea…it's probably guarding the amplifier hidden in the school.

Winry shook her head. "Okay, I'm going back to Ravenclaw Tower, before you get us all killed again, Ed."

Edward scowled. "It's not _my_ fault there's a freak'n three headed dog there!"

Winry jabbed a slightly shaking finger at him. "I owe you a wrenching!"

With that, the girl turned on her heal and stormed away.

"Wrenching?" Hermione inquired.

"Hitting him over the head with a wrench," Harry translated.

Hermione looked horrified.

"Yea…I think she's recently swapped her plastic one for a metal one," Edward stated dryly as the three made their way to Gryffindor Tower.

Hermione paused at the portrait. "I'm going to study, in case you two have any delusions about going back there. I'd rather not be expelled for being out of bounds."

As the two gaped while she crawled through the portrait, the Lady didn't seem too interested in their conversation, though the portrait did raise a curious eyebrow as it swung shut again.

Finally, Edward turned to Harry. "Ya know, I'd think a _horrible, painful death_ would be much worse than getting _expelled_."

As an afterthought, he added, "…it'd prolly come first, too."

"Agreed. But I think she's just as curious. Just not enough to risk expulsion."

"Or a painful death."

"…or a painful death."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	21. All Hallows Eve

More disclaimers and what-not!

For anyone that might be wondering, no, Harry is not going to join the Quidditch team (his first year, at least). With Draco as an ally, the Remembrall scene wouldn't have happened, and thus, Harry would have no reason to nearly break his neck to get it back.

That, and it really had no part in the story.

As some events would still happen like normal, Ron would probably be talking to Seamus and a couple others that Hermione has no friends, which upset her enough to miss the feast and attract the troll. This event, I decided was important since I wanted to keep Hermione as part of the list of main characters.

* * *

Chapter 21: All Hallows Eve

"This is it!" Edward whispered excitedly to Harry as they sat at an empty table, surrounded by books.

They actually weren't in the library, as the two boys had discovered a strange, appearing room on the seventh floor when looking for a good place to secretly work out their research. They hadn't figured out the Imperturbable Charm just yet (and had accidentally set the curtains of one of the beds on fire while trying), and Neville frequented to the dorm during free time since he had less of a chance of being bullied there. Hermione, too, had taken to following them at times, since they included her in anything non-alchemy related.

The library, now that they were a month into the term, had filled up fairly quickly, and there were always at least six or more people scattered around, plus Madam Pince.

There were unused classrooms, but they were frequent hang-out spots for other students. The grounds were always littered with students, and so was the courtyard. It had been frustrating to find a place they could talk to each other about their dilemma without anyone overhearing, when this door just appeared out of a wall when they were pacing around the seventh floor corridor.

Inside were books on "the lost art", potions, a table with two chairs, along with a cozy fireplace and a rug.

So, they frequented the mystery place in order to study and do research. Finally, after searching through the book on Nicolas Flamel, Edward had found what he was looking for.

"He studied with Dumbledore to create the Philosopher's Stone. It's a magical amplifier that can turn any substance to gold, and create the Elixir of Life!" Edward beamed.

Harry smiled. "Does that mean…it's here?"

"It hasta be! That's what the three-headed dog is guarding! The Philosopher's Stone is a concrete form of the Red Water mentioned in the old man's notes…it's the most powerful alchemic amplifier out there! If anything can pay the toll to get Al's legs back, it's this!" Edward smacked his hand on the open page.

"But…will Dumbledore let us have it? It's being guarded, and I doubt from us…" Harry trailed off as realization struck him. "Do you think…that's what Voldemort is after? The Elixir of Life?"

Edward sighed. "Throw me off my elation, why don't ya…prolly. Makes sense, doesn't it? Dumbledore purposely takes Quirrell back in even though he knows some'n is off with him, and keeps him even though there's a Voldemort parasite leech'n offa him somehow…"

Harry wrinkled his nose.

"…and keeps the stone there just out of his reach."

"I'm sure someone as powerful as Voldemort can get past a Hellhound."

Yes, they had done research into the three-headed dog, as well.

"Dunno…they're rare, and immensely powerful," Edward responded with a shrug. He was more focused on the stone, though Harry had raised a valid point. The boy's shoulders slumped. "…no way Dumbledore is gonna let us borrow it, is there. Bet we'd hafta go through Flamel, too, and who knows _where_ he is. I dun trust locations on the back of a Chocolate Frog Card."

Harry frowned. "Cheer up, Ed…maybe he'll agree to let us use it if we ask nicely. We have been helping with the Horcrux research. Al said he overheard them saying that there were a few leads."

He purposely didn't mention that there was no news on Hoenheim. Remus kept hitting dead end upon dead end in the search, and it was looking like it would lead him out of England.

"Only way to find out is to ask," Harry concluded.

"Yea…guess so."

"Do you know what you'd do with it?"

Edward hesitated, then nodded. "I know the matrix needed. That's the 'complicated mess' I've been working on, that you so elaborately put it."

Harry chuckled. "Sorry…I'm better with application when it comes to alchemy, not the theory and patience needed to create new matrixes."

"Don't I know it."

"I'm helping."

"No."

Harry frowned. "Well, why not? I've helped research!"

"I…I can't risk it. I gotta open the Gate, myself," Edward admitted.

Harry's eyes flashed angrily, with a bit of hurt, as well.

"It's not cause I don't think you can! It's cause…well, if the stone has lost any power, or isn't what we think it is, then an accomplice can wind up hurt or taken." Edward looked away, then said quietly, "…like Al. I was the main force in that matrix, so it took more from Al than me. Please, Harry…I couldn't bear it if I messed up somewhere and you got hurt because of it."

Harry took a deep breath, then let it out and sat back down. He didn't even realize he had stood up, but he just couldn't stay angry when Edward had that kicked puppy expression on his face, his eyes full of guilt. "It isn't your fault what happened to Al. We've been over this, before. The both of you decided to do it."

"Yea, but again…I had more alchemic power than Al, so it took more from Al. Harry, I'm gonna hafta face the Gate to get his legs back. If you're exposed as a helper, it might require an extra toll or fee or whatever. A price. Equivalent exchange. The Philosopher's Stone is powerful, but I can't be sure it'll let us _both_ in."

Harry exhaled through his nostrils, then nodded. "Fine."

"You can't be in the room, either."

Harry frowned deeply, but then nodded. This had been Edward's mission since the event happened, so it was only fair to let him fix it. "You're not alone, though. I'll be waiting for you to come back, so you had damn well _better_."

It was rare for Harry to swear. Yes, Edward had picked up quite a mouth from Pitt and other kids at school, but it was usually only Edward that used those words.

Edward chuckled weakly.

Harry held out his hand. "If Dumbledore agrees, and lets you use it…and you do this, you have to solemnly swear to come back."

Edward hesitated, then reached out and clasped Harry's hand. "I swear."

The two pulled apart.

"Well…" Edward let out a sigh as he started to gather the books they had brought with them into the room. "…at least now I can concentrate on removing the Horcrux from you. I reckon that, if I could pull it out of you and affix it to an inanimate object, we can destroy the object."

"Great!"

"I just hafta come up with the matrix for it. Splitting souls is complicated work, especially since some of his powers are bleeding into your layer." Edward didn't mention that there had been no successful case of splitting souls. Nobody had thought to affix them to other items, as it would require a very complex matrix, or a matrix within a matrix, but all attempts had thus far killed the person whom the alchemist was trying to heal, and greatly damaged the alchemist.

Edward knew he wouldn't have the power of the stone for his job with Harry…which meant he had to be precise. It would also be a different matrix than for Remus. The werewolf layer was sentient, and emerged once a month to physically change Remus to a wolf under the power of the rays of the full moon. The Horcrux's only influence on Harry was a possible link to Voldemort and Parseltongue.

Big difference.

"Where would Dumbledore be? We're a bit late for the Halloween feast." Harry glanced at the clock in the room.

"At the feast, I suppose…we'll have to catch him afterwards. C'mon…maybe there'll still be something of the feast left, too." Edward shouldered his satchel and headed to the door.

Harry chuckled and followed.

* * *

It was quiet.

There had been nobody in the Great Hall. Rather, just empty tables and half-eaten pieces of food.

It gave both boys a very bad feeling.

"Something's going on…" Harry muttered.

Edward looked around, then finally spied Nearly Headless Nick and flagged him down with a wave. "Oy! Sir Nick!"

The ghost blinked, then floated over. "What are you kids still doing here, and not in your dorms?"

"That's what we want to ask you…where is everyone?" Edward frowned.

"In the dormitories, where you should be! Don't you know? A troll has breached the school, and is in the dungeons! The professors have gone to remove it!"

Harry and Edward paled and gaped at each other.

"Thanks…" Harry managed. "I think we'll head to the dorm, then…"

"Be careful!"

The two nodded, and hurried from the Great Hall.

"A _troll_?"

Trolls had been in the book they had looked in (one of the many) to find out what was guarding the trapdoor.

"How the bloody hell did a _troll_ get into the school, on its own?" Edward huffed as they ran towards the stairs.

"Dunno…I thought they were really stupid."

"They _are_!"

Suddenly, the two halted and looked at each other.

Every kid in their dorm.

The troll in the dungeons.

The professors dealing with it, all the way down in said dungeons.

Voldemort in the school, looking for the stone.

The empty, third floor corridor, which would be free of any intruders.

Both boys paled as the realization hit them.

"He's gone after the stone…the troll was a diversion. He must have let it in, somehow…" Harry's voice was faint.

Edward was just as uneasy, but also determined. "We hafta stop him. Nobody knows, and by the time we got to the dungeons and came back, it'd be too late. I don't even know where in the dungeons they are, so I can't use alchemy to send a message of some sort."

Harry ran a shaking hand through his hair, then nodded. "Alright. Let's do it."

The two ran off in the opposite direction they had come, and rounded a corner, ready to head up the fastest way to the third floor…when the ground shook.

Once…twice…three times…

The boys exchanged puzzled glances, then wrinkled their noses.

"Ungh…what's that _smell_?" Harry grimaced.

Edward looked around, then gulped and pointed. "I'd say…it's that."

A large, green-brown troll with a tiny head and a huge club lumbered down the hallway, sniffing occasionally as it went.

"I thought Nick said it was in the dungeon…" Harry said faintly.

"He _did_. Either there were two trolls let in, or it got out." Edward gritted his teeth.

The two pressed themselves into a niche in the wall.

"We'll just wait for it to pass, then continue…pray it doesn't smell us…" Edward mumbled.

"I thought you were an atheist."

"…you know what I mean, Harry."

The two fell silent as the troll looked around, blinking small, beady eyes stupidly, then turned back towards its destination, and vanished through some doorway.

Harry peered out.

"It gone?" Edward glanced out as well.

"Yea…you can get off my foot, now."

"Sorry…I thought a trampled foot was a lot better'n becoming a pancake when it swung that club of its," Edward snapped as he stepped out into the hallway.

"Let's go…maybe we can still catch Quirrell."

Before the two boys could continue, they heard a high pitched shriek of terror from the direction the troll had gone.

Definitely _not_ a professor.

Edward said some words that Harry was sure he hadn't picked up around the Elric house…perhaps from Pinako, who swore like a sailor, but definitely not their house, or even school.

Harry tugged on Edward's robes. "There's the Hellhound to protect the stone…but nobody over there. We need to help whomever it is!"

Edward swore again for good measure, then nodded. It was hard for both of them to turn their backs on the stone that could cure Alphonse, but they had to put their trust in Dumbledore's wisdom of seeing through the ploy, and the Hellhound's ability to guard things.

Another shriek, and the two increased their pace, with Harry a bit in front of Edward. Sure, the automail allowed Edward to run and walk normally, but it also slowed him down a bit, so when he ran full tilt, it was often with a bit of a limp.

Thus, Harry was the first to skid around the corner and see the troll demolishing a girl's bathroom, with a cowering and crying Hermione trying to hide herself under the sinks and being soaked by a spray of water.

Either she had been moving, or the troll was too stupid to swing the club down instead of across, so Hermione had managed to stay alive thus far. Her wand was clutched in her hand, but she was obviously too terrified to speak, let alone cast a spell.

Harry really didn't know any spells besides the Imperturbable Charm (which often failed, and set things on fire), and the Levitation Charm. It would take too long to draw a matrix, and Edward was still limping his way over.

His mind made up, Harry pointed his wand at the troll and hoped that he cast it as incorrectly as the last time he tried. "_Imperturbatus_!"

His wand sputtered sparks, then a small flame burst out and hit the troll smack in the back.

The troll's loin cloth didn't catch fire, but the flames were enough to draw its attention from the cowering Hermione to the Boy-Who-Lived…who reckoned he was about to become the Boy-Who-Was-Killed-By-A-Troll.

The club came flying at his head, and Harry barely had time to throw himself to the ground. He heard the whoosh of air, and his hair practically stood on end as the club crashed into what remained of a stall, demolishing it.

Hermione looked horrified, and pointed her wand at the troll again, but the meek bluebell flame spell she tried to shoot out sputtered and died before it even hit the troll.

Harry looked up in time to see the troll's club coming down on him. He rolled to the side and barely managed to avoid being squashed as the floor was torn up from the club hitting the ground.

Hermione cried out again. "HARRY!"

Harry opened his eyes and gulped. He had hit a bunch of wood that used to be the bathroom stalls, and had nowhere else to dodge as the club came down again…

A flash of light and a displacement of energy, and the floor suddenly rushed up to meet the club.

The troll stumbled as it was off balanced from having its club jarred from its hand. The wooden item landed with a loud 'thud' and a 'crash' into the wreckage of some nearby toilets.

Harry was never as glad to see Edward as he had been at that moment.

Edward was breathing hard as he knelt on the ground, then clapped his hands together again. "Hermione, stay where you are! Harry, don't move!"

Both were fine with complying, as the light raced out again and created a wall behind the confused troll, who was still trying to figure out where its club had gone.

Then, another flash of light and a clap, and the floor that had been in front of Harry transformed into a giant fist and pulled back, then smashed into the troll's face.

The troll's head whipped back from the force, and crashed into the wall, where it was knocked out. Its head had gone right through the stone, but was forcefully pulled out as the fist transformed once again to become stone bindings that grabbed the troll and pulled it to the ground.

Another clap and another flash of light, and the wall dropped, which exposed a very confused yet awed Hermione, and a knocked out mountain troll.

Harry stood up slowly, along with Hermione.

Edward sighed and clapped his hands again, and the floor went back to normal. He couldn't have a professor discover the bindings, or questions would be asked that he didn't want to answer. As it was, Hermione had seen him using alchemy, and he would have to explain it.

"It's okay." Edward stood up and wiped his forehead.

Hermione moved slowly at first, then quickly ran to Harry's side. "Is it…dead?"

"Probably just knocked out. I dunno, really. Don't plan on sticking around to find out, either," Edward said.

However, before the three could leave, there were footsteps, and they found themselves face to face with professors McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell.

Edward spat out a four letter word of choice, and this time, Harry couldn't help but agree with him.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	22. Another Ally

I don't own anything~!

To address a review, Edward transmuted the floor back to normal in the previous chapter (I'm fairly certain I wrote that part in; I'll doublecheck) so no questions would be asked. Well, no questions about the floor being transmuted, at least. ;p

And, thank you ff.n for not botching my italics for the last few chapters. YAY!

* * *

Chapter 22: Another Ally

McGonagall seemed to have trouble articulating a sentence as she stared from the three first years to the unconscious troll on the ground and back. Finally, she managed to get out in a strained and strict tone, "Explain yourselves!"

Edward and Harry glanced from one to the other. They couldn't exactly say that they had been heading to stop Quirrell from getting the stone (that they probably weren't supposed to know about) when they saw the troll and heard a scream. After all, they were _supposed_ to have been at the feast, so they were _supposed_ to have gone back to their dorms.

Hermione, however, seemed to come up with something. "I'm afraid it's my fault. I…I'd read about trolls, and thought I could handle it, so I went looking for it. If Harry and Edward hadn't found me…I'd probably be dead." She averted her eyes to the ground in an amazing display of acting guilty.

McGonagall shook her head. "I thought you had more common sense than that! A fully grown mountain troll…"

Then again, the students hadn't known it was _fully grown_…just that there was a troll on the loose..

"…well, in any case, that was some serious lack of judgment on your part. Ten points from Gryffindor."

Hermione bit her lip and gave a sheepish nod.

"As for you boys…" McGonagall turned to the two.

However, Snape tried to break the lie. "I don't recall seeing Potter during the feast. How did he know that Granger was going after the troll?"

Edward nearly rolled his eyes, and Harry resisted a similar action. _Of course…he must have some sort of Harry-radar with his intense dislike._

During Potions class, Harry had always paired with Draco, and Edward with Hermione, so Snape had bottled up anger that he couldn't unleash on them since their potions were always perfect, and he couldn't come down on a Slytherin.

Obviously, he had just been waiting for an opportunity to strike at them.

"We were studying and lost track of time," Edward said as he looked directly at Snape while he said it. It was true…they _were_ studying. Just, what they were studying had nothing to do with their school subjects.

Harry nodded. Since McGonagall was there, and he was in between Hermione and Edward, he felt a little brave despite Snape's dark look. "When we realized the time, we rushed down and found the Great Hall empty…"

"How could you not have known there were students returning to their dorms if you were, as you say, 'studying'?" Snape sneered.

Edward resisted the urge to tell Snape to get his wand out of a certain part of his anatomy, but managed to hold back. "We were use'n an unused room."

Also, not a lie. Nobody else seemed to be able to use the odd room they had discovered on the seventh floor.

Harry had to hold back a grin, since he knew that Edward was skirting around the truth without actually lying. His cousin was good at doing that. Instead, he composed himself and continued the story. "So, we were trying to figure out what to do, when we saw Nearly Headless Nick, and asked him. He said there was a troll on the loose, and everyone was headed to the dorms…"

Harry was unsure how to lie correctly to match up with Hermione's half of the story, but luckily, Edward picked up in it without missing a beat.

"But we heard some of the other Gryffindors say'n that they hadn't seen Hermione at the feast, and we got worried that she was in the library or some'n and didn't know, so we went to find her, and heard her scream on our way," Edward finished the tale flawlessly, though he maintained a hint of humility, as if he was slightly ashamed of disobeying the rules.

Harry, too, followed his lead and stared at the ground with a frown, though he bit his lip not out of guilt, but to keep from laughing at how easily Edward could lie and stretch the truth and make it sound real.

McGonagall sighed.

Snape's eye twitched, as he couldn't seem to find anything to say to question the stories, since they all matched up.

Quirrell just remained silent and somewhat cowed, which gave Harry and Edward the impression that either McGonagall and-or Snape had caught him trying to get the stone.

"Well…" McGonagall finally spoke, "I must say that you three are terribly lucky! Not many first year students, or even second year students, can take on a fully grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale! As such, I believe that five points…"

The boys looked up with wide eyes. Were they going to lose their house even _more_ points?

Hermione just shifted, which portrayed her nervousness.

"…should be awarded to each of you…"

All three exchanged big grins, while Harry and Edward exchanged a quiet low-five behind their backs.

"…for _sheer dumb luck_," McGonagall concluded.

Edward made a face, but an elbow from Harry prevented him from saying anything. So, he huffed and nodded. _It wasn't 'luck'! I knew very well what I was doing, thanks!_

"Now, get to your dormitories immediately!" McGonagall pointed.

Harry felt his stomach rumble, and he nearly groaned when he realized that they hadn't had dinner.

"What about dinner?" Edward asked, managing to pull a kicked puppy look.

McGonagall didn't look impressed by the look, but she wasn't into punishments that included withholding meals from children. "Very well. I shall escort you three to the Great Hall." Everyone else had been on the dessert phase of the meal when Quirrell had run into the room, shouting about a troll.

Snape sneered, not at the three kids, but at Quirrell. "I hope, Quirrell, that you can clean up, here. Trolls _are_ your _specialty_, are they not?"

There was a definite warning tone in that, and it just confirmed what Harry and Edward already knew; that Quirrell was responsible for the troll diversion.

However, they weren't able to hear the rest of the conversation, though Hermione seemed to spy something on Snape's leg, before McGonagall herded them towards the Great Hall, muttering under her breath the entire time.

There was going to be some explaining to do to Hermione, but if anyone could keep a secret, Edward felt it was this girl.

* * *

"Alchemy? The Lost Art?" Hermione was barely able to keep her voice steady as the three chatted while they ate, with McGonagall seated at the staff table to keep an eye on them. The professor couldn't hear their conversation, nor did she really care to.

Edward nodded. "Yea…my old man was able to do it. I sorta inherited it, I guess. Al, too…my younger brother. Harry can do it, also, but he hasta draw a matrix. Al and I were in…an accident…involving alchemy when we were younger, and cause of it, we don't need a matrix for simple transmutations. It's a secret, though. Only Dumbledore knows we can do it."

"That's why you were able to move the floor…" Hermione mumbled before she took a sip of her pumpkin juice.

The boys nodded.

"What was it you cast at the troll, Harry?" Hermione inquired. "The one that shot fire. I tried a bluebell flame spell, but…I didn't have enough conviction."

Harry flushed. "Actually, it was a Imperturbable Charm. Ed and I've been trying it out, but we haven't got it to work, yet. Ed's just fizzles, but mine sets things on fire."

Hermione nearly choked on her juice in laughter.

Edward snickered. "So you fired off the incomplete Imperturbable Charm at the troll?"

"Well, I didn't have time to draw a matrix," Harry responded with a grin.

Hermione shook her head. "Brilliant. I have another question…would either of you know why Professor Snape had blood on his knee?"

If Hermione hadn't been with them to see the Hellhound, then the two probably would have shrugged and spun a tale that perhaps there had been another troll that was actually in the dungeons, and he might have gotten it in the fight.

Rather, after a silent debate of staring at each other Harry and Edward faced her.

"Can you keep a secret?" Edward asked lowly.

Hermione nodded.

"Swear on your magic, on your grave, on your family…that you won't tell?" Harry asked seriously.

Hermione was slightly taken aback by the solemn nature of the question, but then nodded again and looked aside a bit. "I don't rightly have anyone _to_ tell…you two and Winry…and Draco, I suppose…are the only ones that have ever been civil to me."

Harry held out his hand. "Shake on it. Swear you won't tell anyone else. Dumbledore is okay to tell…he knows about it already. But nobody else."

"Maybe McGonagall if need be. Or a bloke named Remus, if you ever get to meet him. Or Al. But otherwise, nobody," Edward clarified.

"I swear." Hermione shook Harry's hand, then Edward's.

The two exchanged looks, then nodded and started with how Voldemort wasn't dead, but probably hanging around the castle, either a part of or controlling Quirrell, and wanted the Philosopher's Stone, which had been in vault 713 in Gringotts up until recently, where it was moved to Hogwarts. They told her that it was a Hellhound guarding it, and they suspected there were other guards in place. Though they hated to admit that Snape was the one bright enough to realize Quirrell's distraction for what it was, they mentioned that he probably went to head the evil guy off.

"…was prolly bitten for his efforts. I'd rather it have been Quirrell." Edward snorted as he finished.

Hermione was quiet as she thought about all she knew and was told. Finally, she looked at them. "And Dumbledore knows that Voldemort is after the stone?"

"Most likely…which probably means that he won't let me have even a chip of it. All I need is a chip…" Edward muttered.

Unfortunately, since they didn't have the clatter that was usually in the Great Hall, Hermione heard.

"A chip of it for what?"

"To heal Al. He was injured in an alchemy accident. No spell or potion at St. Mungo's could help…the only way to heal him is with alchemy," Edward said quietly and averted his gaze. "But to do it, I need an amplifier, or I might not come back."

"The stone is an alchemic amplifier," Harry explained. "We reckon we'll ask Dumbledore if we could have a sliver of it. If he could ask Flamel if it's alright."

Hermione was impressed. "You two figured that out within two months?"

The boys both flushed at the compliment.

"The old man has a lotta stuff in his study…and I still remember, very clearly, some of the notes Al and I stumbled upon," Edward finally explained.

Hermione gave a nod. "Then, I'd like to help in any way I can."

"Only way is to pray for them, really," Harry muttered. "I've been barred from helping during the transmutation."

Edward sent him a slightly guilty look. "I already told you…"

Harry waved it off with a smile. "I know. I understand."

"Shall we ask if we can see Dumbledore?" Hermione glanced to where McGonagall was seated.

"He probably has to clear up the incident with the troll…" Harry frowned.

"I want to, but…McGonagall will be watching us and escorting us. I don't think we could get away with talking to Dumbledore without her asking why. And I don't think I can come up with a good enough lie, especially if she feels the need to come in with us. Bit of a private conversation, it'd be," Edward admitted.

Harry could almost _feel_ Edward's impatience. "Been waiting for over four years, now. What's another twelve hours?"

"Gonna be hard to sleep…"

"It's not like Dumbledore is going anywhere," Hermione assured him. "So long as he knows someone is after the stone, he's not about to leave the school."

The boys nodded.

Then, Edward looked up. "Say, what were you doing in the lavatory, anyway? I doubt you went look'n for the troll…not even Harry and I were eager to do battle with a troll."

Hermione flushed and looked down at her nearly empty plate. "I…well…after Charms, I heard Ron talking to Seamus and Dean…about me not having friends and all…"

Edward muttered something under his breath.

Harry looked at his cousin in alarm. "You'd get expelled!"

"Only if I got caught…oh, fine! I won't do it."

Harry, assured that his cousin was telling the truth, looked back at Hermione. "Well, Ron's wrong. You have friends. You've got us." He paused a moment. "And maybe Draco. He isn't sure what to make of you, yet. I think he's still trying to come to terms that _he_ has friends."

"Sure you shouldn't have been in Hufflepuff?" Edward grinned and nudged Harry. "You were always more perceptive of emotions and junk than I was. Though, Al has us both beat…

Harry playfully slapped Edward's shoulder in return. "Would a first year Hufflepuff have run towards the direction they heard a troll go in after hearing a scream, then blatantly lie to professors?"

"We weren't ly'n…cept Hermione. Just stretch'n the truth." Edward winked.

Hermione blinked at them. "Really? Then where were you two at dinner?"

The two exchanged looks, then nodded once more. They trusted Hermione, and she knew a lot about them, already. They weren't about to share information about Harry being a Horcrux yet, or Edward's plans on figuring out how to separate two souls in one body, but they could tell her about the room.

When they finished, Hermione's eyes were wide in shock.

"You two found the Room of Requirements!"

"The what?" Harry blinked.

"It appears…I read about it…supposed to be a myth of Hogwarts, according to 'Hogwarts; A History'…if someone really has need for it!"

"Well, library was always crowded, the dorm was hardly private, and our Imperturbable Charms either fizzled or set things on fire. Unused classrooms are hang outs for other kids, and we didn't wanna make trouble with older students." Edward shrugged.

"Brilliant," was what Hermione said in response.

The two boys grinned. Yes…it had definitely not been a mistake to let Hermione in on at least one of their secrets. Perhaps, in time, they could tell her the other one, as she was like them in that she was years ahead of her age, but for the moment, this one was enough.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	23. Letters and Christmas Preparations

Lala…I still don't own anything~!

The long-anticipated (by some, at least) explanation to what happened when the Elric brothers opened the Gate to save their mother finally comes out!

* * *

Chapter 23: Letters and Christmas Preparations

"Oh, honestly, Ed! You've been waiting for this moment for _years_!" Winry groused as she just about tugged her best friend down the corridor.

An amused Hermione and a grinning Harry followed, though Harry's grin was weak since he was the only one of the group, sans Edward, that really had any understanding of what this process entailed.

Since Winry had caught the boys whispering with Hermione the next day during class, she pulled them aside to ask what was going on. After some reluctance, Edward and Harry spilled the entire truth (at least, what they had told Hermione). That meant they had to tell her about the stone, but like Hermione, Winry wouldn't go babbling, and she had seen the Hellhound.

So, once they got some free time, Winry all but started to drag Edward to the Headmaster's office so he could make his request.

"You're getting cold feet, _now_?" Winry continued to lecture the hesitant boy. "And you call yourself a Gryffindor?"

Hermione chortled at that. She enjoyed sitting with Winry in class, as the girl didn't judge her by appearance, and sometimes hung out with the group. Draco was a little more hesitant to actually walk over to them, but if Edward or Harry saw him hanging around by himself, they would call him over.

Thus, November had quite a few changes coming about.

"What if he says 'no'? I'm back to where I started! Do you know how hard it'd be ta find a way to actually _make_ a stone?" Edward grimaced.

"I agree with Winry," Hermione told him. "You were overly eager to do this last night, and now you're completely reluctant."

"But…"

"You're just making excuses. He _might_ say 'yes'," Hermione interrupted.

Edward hung his head and groaned, then glanced back at Harry with pleading eyes.

Harry laughed and shrugged. "Sorry, mate. I agree with them. Plus, it's for Al, remember?"

Edward sighed in defeat, though he still had to be pulled along the corridor since he attempted to walk slowly.

Dumbledore knew that they knew about Quirrell's identity, but Edward couldn't recall them discussing the stone. Now, to come over and say "I know about the Philosopher's Stone hidden in Hogwarts and want to use a sliver of it to cure my brother"…

It was a bit much.

After all, Edward had all night to think about it, since he had been unable to sleep…and this time, it had nothing to do with Neville's snoring.

Finally, the group arrived at the stone gargoyle that marked the entrance to the Headmaster's office.

"Okay…you know, we can just turn around…" Edward didn't know exactly why he was so nervous. This was an opportunity…a big chance! Perhaps he was afraid that Dumbledore would say 'no', and he would be back to square one. They had spent almost three months learning and discovering, and figuring out about the Philosopher's Stone. Al had sent a letter saying that the wards still weren't down…Trisha had managed to break some of the magical wards, but there were alchemy wards that neither Izumi nor Alphonse could get through past those.

The basement was Edward's only hope, and he didn't know if he would be able to bring down the wards. Maybe if all four alchemists worked together…

Still, he couldn't help prepare himself for a let down. It seemed too good to be true; he gets his Hogwarts letter, arrives, and finds out about the Philosopher's Stone, which is the most powerful alchemy amplifier around.

It also made him wonder why his old man didn't think of it. Surely, if Edward and Harry could figure out about the Philosopher's Stone and its properties in about three months, Hoenheim should have figured it out in a week.

Perhaps he had journeyed out to find Flamel?

That didn't explain the lack of communication, however. Even if he had found Flamel and was working on a stone in secret…

…that could explain it, but it would have been nice if he could apparate or something to a more populated area to send an owl…or at least make a bloody phone call!

"We need a password…" Hermione's voice interrupted Edward's thoughts.

"Hope it's the same as it was the last time we were here…" Harry muttered, then looked at the gargoyle and said, "Gummy Bears."

Luckily, the password hadn't been changed, and the gargoyle moved aside to reveal the spiral stairs.

Winry blinked a few times. "_Gummy Bears_?"

"That was Ed's reaction, too." Harry attempted a weak smile. "We were desperate to see him, and just shouted out every candy we could think of. I was joking when I said it, actually."

Hermione shook her head in amusement.

"Do I have to drag you up the stairs, or can you walk on your own?" Winry eyed Edward with a steely gaze.

Edward sighed. "Alright, alright! I'm going!"

Harry followed after Edward, who stomped his way up the stairs to hide his nervousness, while the girls brought up the rear.

They came to the familiar door of the Headmaster's office, which Edward just stared blankly at, his arm half raised as if he was going to knock, but the frown on his face indicated the internal debate of "what ifs".

"Oh, for crying out…" Hermione pushed him aside, and knocked on the door.

Winry chuckled at the goldfish impression Edward was doing in response to Hermione's shove.

Harry wanted to laugh, but since they were so close, he was starting to feel some of the same conflicting "what ifs" that Edward had been experiencing all day.

They didn't have to wait long before the elderly voice called "Enter!".

The four exchanged a look, then Hermione pushed the door open, and Winry all but dragged Edward in while Harry brought up the rear, and closed the door after them.

Dumbledore smiled at them, and conjured up four chairs. "Ah. I was wondering when I would be seeing you in here, Edward."

Edward nearly jumped, and looked up with startled eyes.

Dumbledore chuckled and indicated to the chair. "Don't look so surprised. I'm quite aware of the letters you and your brother are sending to each other. I also had a feeling that you wished to speak to me since the troll incident of last night."

Winry didn't have to ask, because it was school-wide knowledge. None of the three involved recalled telling anyone about it, yet the entire school seemed to know by breakfast.

Winry all but pushed Edward into his chair, then took the seat next to him, on the end. Harry sat on the other side of Edward, while Hermione sat next to Harry, on the other end. It was a seating set up that made it so that Edward and Harry would be the ones directly across from Dumbledore, since it was their request.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled behind his glasses. "Well, then…what is it that you wished to ask of me, lad?"

Edward fidgeted, and for a while, there was silence. He knew that Harry wouldn't ask for him, and the girls didn't rightly know enough of what his question meant to ask. That, and they wanted him to ask, himself.

_Gryffindor courage, huh? Well, it's for Al…_

Edward took a deep breath, then looked up at Dumbledore. "We…well, Harry and I…found out about the Philosopher's Stone…"

Dumbledore didn't look the least bit surprised at that statement. Rather, the twinkle in his eyes just seemed to _double_, if that was possible.

Edward, encouraged by the lack of scolding or frowns, ploughed on, "You…you've seen Al, right? So…you know…his condition was cause of an alchemy…well, it wasn't an 'accident'."

He knew, right then and there, that he would have to explain what had happened. Harry knew by now, but Hermione and Winry were slightly in the dark. However, if he wanted a chance at a sliver of the Stone, he would have to tell Dumbledore what had occurred.

It wasn't as if he was sworn by the Gate not to tell…it was just something that normal people shouldn't know about. Dumbledore was hardly 'normal', and Edward trusted his friends.

That, and Winry had been bugging him for years as to why her parents and the other St. Mungo's healers weren't able to cure Alphonse. She had even been in tears that her parents hadn't been able to help.

"Um…I'd appreciate it that…what I say doesn't leave the room." Edward took a moment to glance at the portraits hanging up on the walls, then at his friends. He knew he could trust Dumbledore not to tell, but the portraits…well, they seemed to get around for supposedly stationary things. He wasn't even concerned about the phoenix in the room, as, even though they were vastly intelligent birds, they didn't talk human languages.

Dumbledore seemed to understand Edward's hesitance, and looked at the portraits of the previous headmasters with a commanding expression.

Most of them left their portraits without complaint, while a couple muttered as they vacated. There was one that Dumbledore had to give a _look_ to before he finally groused and complained, but left his portrait.

The girls found it amusing and a bit shocking, as did Harry, but Edward was too nervous to be anything but grateful that they didn't have an audience.

Edward looked up grimly, then took a deep breath and started. He told them about his mother's deteriorating health while in Germany, moving to England to try and get help from St. Mungo's and finding out that they couldn't cure her, Hoenheim working overtime (nobody missed how he called him "Hoenheim" or "the old man" instead of "dad" or "father"), working in his study when he wasn't…then, when Trisha took a turn for the worst when Hoenheim was out of the house, and the kids were unable to contact him.

"…Al and I broke the alchemy wards on his study. We found a bunch of notes about this and that, some really weird notes, and stuff on amplifiers…but there was also stuff on mom's condition, and plans to cure it with alchemy."

Even Harry was silent, as he hadn't heard the complete, full story before the alchemy process.

"Al and I…we deciphered his notes. Didn't take long. Found his research incomplete…well, it was more that he hadn't finished the matrixes, yet. So…we went ahead and completed it. Mom was dying, and we couldn't contact the old man, so we took it upon ourselves. We drew the matrix in the basement…mom was unconscious, but we somehow moved her there, and placed her in the middle…"

Edward seemed to be having trouble with this portion of the story, and it was no wonder, since this was the part that Harry knew about; the traumatizing part.

"We did everything needed…even brewed the potion that was to make up for the damaged tissues and restore them…" Edward gulped. "We activated the matrix. At first, it was the same golden light, and then…it was like a flash of white and…there was this giant door with something like the Kabala on it…nothing but white around me. It opened…"

Edward refused to tell the part about the strange entity he had seen behind the door. That part, he had a feeling was for _him_, and him only. Alphonse had probably seen one, too, but neither boy ever spoke of it.

So, the boy fidgeted and continued despite the horrified looks from the other kids. "I heard things, saw things…a voice talked about equivalent exchange, and that my power wasn't enough to do what I had to do, and a 'price' for being 'arrogant'. I could have lost much more than I did, but it just took…well, essentially, it took the muscles from my leg, I guess. Damaged my right elbow, too…"

Winry was pale, and Hermione wasn't too far off.

Harry had a grimace on his face. He hadn't heard the details of the story, but knew this part must be difficult. He placed a hand on Edward's shoulder.

Edward jerked a bit and looked up with wide eyes, then looked back at his hands, which were intertwined in his lap. "When…when I woke up…we were all back in the basement. Al was conscious, but was sobbing…babbling…he was scared. I…I probably wasn't much better. I checked on mom, and found her breathing normal, her complexion normal…she was cured. But then, Al…"

The boy choked and pushed back tears. "It…he said…that it took his legs. Not physically, but it took his ability to walk. Because…"

Winry was surprised when Edward bowed his head, and she saw a drop of water fall from his face to his hands. In all the years she had known Edward, she had never seen him cry. Yet, now…

Harry didn't remove his hand from Edward's shoulder. Rather, he tightened it slightly to offer silent comfort as his own eyes misted up. This part, he knew…it was the reason he had been forbidden to help Edward get Alphonse's legs back.

"…because we weren't enough. Our energy. _My_ energy…my abilities…they weren't enough, neither were Al's…so it had to take from us. To compensate. To punish, because we had gotten too 'conceited'."

Silence filled the room. Dumbledore looked a tad perturbed, but more thoughtful than anything else. Certainly, there was no condescending look on his face. The kids didn't know, but he had done some outrageous things in his youth, as well. Certainly not as young as Edward and Alphonse would have been, but…

Edward seemed to compose himself a little. When he looked up, there was a slight redness around his eyes, but otherwise, no sign that he had shed tears. "They couldn't cure him at St. Mungo's…how could they? Nobody there had any clue what we'd been through and seen! They somehow managed to fix my elbow enough so it could function…Hoenheim didn't know what to do, either. I think…I think he had an idea of what to do. He argued with mom about it…whatever it was, it must've been forbidden, cause mom said 'no'."

The boy gulped, then took a shaky breath and let it out. "That's why he left…to find a cure. I was able to get automail, but Al…he couldn't even _feel_ his legs. They were completely gone. I knew…the only way to get them back…would be alchemy. But I couldn't open the Gate again without preparation. Mom would be sad if I gave myself up for Al, though I was about ready to. But I didn't have anything to exchange for going to get his legs back."

Here, the proposition finally came out.

"I'd searched for years…Hoenheim locked everything in the basement besides the basics and some advanced stuff in the study…I couldn't get in. I got to Hogwarts, and found out about the Stone…it's the most powerful alchemic amplifier. I'd been trying to find out about Red Water before that, but…"

Dumbledore frowned at that. "Red Water?"

"Said to be a component of the Stone…"

Dumbledore sat back. "Not to my knowledge, it's not. However, I'm sure there are many ways to create the stone…some more forbidden than others."

Harry wondered if the argument Edward had overheard between Trisha and Hoenheim had to do with this forbidden study. _Maybe Hoenheim was going to create one with Red Water, which was forbidden somehow, and Trisha knew about it and refused…must've been pretty bad, then._

Edward frowned. "Anyway…I…I want to know, sir…if…if it would be possible for me to…well, have just a sliver of the Stone. That's all I need…a tiny sliver of it would be enough to satisfy what lies beyond the Gate and get Al's legs back."

Silence.

Edward bowed his head. "…I guess not…"

This time, even Winry, though shocked, reached out and took Edward's hand, and Hermione scooted her chair a little closer to the group to try and provide a level of comfort.

Finally, though, Dumbledore gave them some hope. "I never said it wasn't doable, Edward."

The use of his first name, and that he wasn't being told 'no' right off the bat, made Edward look up with a glint of hope. It was obvious that he was still prepared for rejection, but he held out for the glimmer of possibility.

"You do realize, what with what you and Harry know, that it would be very dangerous for me to move the stone around."

Edward nodded glumly. _Stupid Voldemort…why'd he hafta show up __**now**__?_

"I will talk with Nicolas. I'm sure you found out about the stone by looking up his name…"

Edward nodded. "There were books with him in it…I asked Al to send some of them over via owl."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I suppose, as long as the floo network is open and I can stick my head through to the house…if Nicolas agrees, we might be able to allow you a sliver during Christmas break. The threat to the stone would be in the castle, so as long as you're home and I'm still here, there wouldn't be much to worry about."

Edward's jaw nearly dropped, and Harry couldn't contain the large smile that split across his face.

Winry squeezed Edward's hand in joy. Since Edward and Harry had explained about the stone to her, that also meant that Quirrell had come up, so she, and Hermione, were well aware of what "the threat" was.

"I know, what with the timing of your brother's birthday, that it would have to be done before school lets out, and there's only one holiday break where students are allowed to go home." Dumbledore smiled gently at the stunned child.

Edward couldn't seem to get any words out. He knew he had been asking a lot, so he was surprised to get a positive answer in response.

"I shall send word to Nicolas today, and shall call you back when I receive a reply. Will that do, child?" The word 'child' wasn't said in a patronizing way, but rather, in a gentle manner.

Edward bowed his head again, and couldn't stop the grateful tears that rolled down his cheeks as he nodded and was only able to whisper the words "thank you" over and over again.

Harry had given up on just a shoulder, and wrapped his arm around his cousin while he buried his face in Edward's shoulder to hide his own tears of joy.

Winry squeezed Edward's hand, tears in her eyes, then pulled both boys into a hug.

Hermione looked a little hesitant, as if she wasn't sure if she was allowed or not, but then finally placed a hand on Harry's back.

Dumbledore let them have their moment, and even got some tea in the room and biscuits with chocolate chunks in them for when the kids calmed. Perhaps a page from Remus' book would be appropriate; it was too bad that chocolate couldn't cure physical ailments, but it worked great for mental states.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	24. Christmas Miracles

Still don't own anything!

Ironic that the Christmas chapters come out at this time of year...Happy Christmas to those that celebrate it!

Okie, just a note on the spelling on Hoenheim's name…I've seen it spelled _so_ many different ways, that I'm keeping this version. XD

It's how it was on some of my fansubs, some of the manga…if it's not "official", I don't care at over 23 chapters of spelling it a certain way in the story. ^^;;

I'm not very good with auditory information, but when I hear them say his name, I hear "Ho-_en_-hei-mu", not "Ho-_hen_-hei-mu". Thus, not only did I see it spelled "Hoenheim", but I picked up on spelling it the phonetic way.

PS: Thank you to one of my reviewers, who pointed out that I had accidentally substituted Alphonse's name for Harry at the end; it has been fixed. ^^

* * *

Chapter 24: Christmas Miracles

Classes were a blur of activity. They had been taking flying lessons, which all first years had together, for some time now. Like he had demonstrated at the Elric house, Harry was a natural at it, the way Edward seemed to be with Transfiguration class. Potions was more stressful for Snape than the kids, who always formed the Elric-Granger and Malfoy-Potter groups to avoid being picked on. Of course, that didn't stop Snape from sneering at them in the hallways or trying to catch them doing something wrong. However, since they weren't sneaking out of their dorms or breaking rules, he couldn't pin anything on them, so the rest of the class had to deal with a more annoyed than usual Potions Master.

Ron and Seamus didn't really do much to Edward and Harry, though they made faces and shook their heads to let the boys know that their choice in friends wasn't accepted by them.

Edward and Harry really didn't care, neither did Hermione.

The best point was when Ron and Seamus tried again to convert Harry and Edward (and get them away from Hermione, when Edward demanded that they apologize to her for being mean), and Winry had come over just then and unleashed a fury even worse than Edward's.

If Harry and Edward hadn't grown up with her, they would have been as stunned as Hermione. Poor Ron and Seamus looked as if they had been blindsided by Winry's famous wrench, even though she didn't lay a finger on them. The verbal lashing she gave them, however, had definitely told them off. Edward had commented on it when the friends had gotten their wits back about them.

_"You're a mite scary sometimes, Win…but you're also a bloody genius!"_

Otherwise, Edward and Harry spent their time in the Room of Requirements, sometimes with Winry and Hermione joining them (mostly, the two just did homework or talked about automail, which Hermione found fascinating, since they didn't know the finer points of alchemy).

It was all for the best, since if they _did_ know what Harry and Edward were planning, they probably would have tried to stop them. Not that the boys had found a solution to it, however. Edward was set in that they could place the soul of Voldemort into an inanimate object by alchemy soul transfer, which had been done before without summoning the Gate (though, it was highly frowned upon and still considered illegal, but not forbidden).

The problem, then, was safely extracting the soul of Voldemort from Harry's body. If it had all been in the scar and not leaking into Harry by giving him abilities like Parseltongue, it would have been much simpler. However, now, not only would Edward (and an insistent Alphonse) have to separate the souls and remove Voldemort's layer, but he would also have to peel it carefully away from Harry's own layer.

Edward already had the matrixes completed for getting Alphonse's legs back; it was just a simple (or not so simple, as most alchemists didn't know about it) human transmutation circle. He figured he would look more into Red Water and why it could be forbidden enough for his mother to deny it helping Alphonse, and his father to have even been researching it, when everything was taken care of.

* * *

It was about mid-November when the boys were called to the Headmaster's office, with good news.

Dumbledore indicated for them to take their seats, then smiled at them. "I received word back from my friend, Nicolas."

The boys just about leaned forward in their seats, and Edward's palms felt sweaty.

Dumbledore gave them a nod, then reached into his robes and pulled out a shard of something red.

Edward's eyes widened in shock, and Harry's jaw dropped. The two, being alchemists, could feel the power of it radiating from where they sat. Perhaps Dumbledore could, as well, since he was a powerful wizard, even though he wasn't an alchemist.

"I have broken off a shard, which you will take with you when you leave for Christmas Break. However, to be on the safe side, I'll have you leave by floo, from my office, right to your home. I shall also keep this with me until break. Instead of heading to Hogsmeade Station with the other students, you two shall come up here. I have arranged for Quirrell to be elsewhere at the time, so he won't notice that you two won't be on the train, or think something is up."

Edward and Harry were shocked to silence for a few moments, before they nodded in understanding.

Dumbledore pocketed the shard once more. "You two can take the Hogwarts Express back to school when the vacation is over. Is this satisfactory?"

Was it _satisfactory_?

Edward played the question in his head as if someone had asked him "do you want presents for Christmas?".

"Yes!" Edward exclaimed, then calmed down and flushed a bit at his outburst. Though, he glanced at Harry, since his cousin had made an exclamation at the same time.

Harry grinned sheepishly.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Very well, then."

"Um…sir…" Edward hesitated, then took the plunge. "Did Mister Flamel say anything about Red Water?"

Dumbledore frowned slightly. "When I asked him, he only mentioned that there are some very old methods, lost to alchemists that are even six hundred years old like Nicolas, that involved a lot more…less humane methods of creating the stone. Nicolas and I worked on a version that would be less…forbidden…in its creation methods."

Edward had a feeling that Flamel had known more than he said, or that Dumbledore was holding back information, but pushed it aside for now. _Maybe he'll tell me when I'm older, or I can break the wards in the basement and see if the old man has anything on them, since he had been researching Red Water_.

Harry nodded along with Edward at the explanation, and didn't even want to think about what could be so inhumane about creating an amplifier that Flamel would look for another way to do it.

Yet, that gave him hope that there might be another way to go about removing his Horcrux without damaging his layer.

* * *

Edward was half nervous, half excited until they would have to leave for Christmas break. Though, with all the other kids talking excitedly about going home or getting presents (or both), nobody really noticed his behavior.

Except for Draco.

"What's going on with you?" Draco had been around the four students, Winry joining in reluctantly, to learn that there was some big secret going on. He could almost _feel_ it.

Edward shifted as he stood in the Great Hall. They were all awaiting the carriages that would take them to Hogsmeade, only Edward and Harry would be 'slow' leaving the room, and not get on a carriage. Rather, they were to head straight to the Headmaster's office. Hermione and Winry, who knew of their situation, would cover for them if need-be, and the teachers monitoring it (Hagrid and McGonagall) had been informed that they were taking a different route home for safety reasons.

Now, Edward sat with Harry, Hermione, Winry, and Draco in the Great Hall, all of whom packed up to go. There were a few kids milling about that weren't packed (as they were staying at Hogwarts over Christmas, like Ron), hanging around their friends before they would have to wait until January to see them again.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked Draco innocently.

The group had a spot in a corner, away from everyone else.

This was mostly because the Gryffindors hated Slytherins, and the Slytherins hated Gryffindors…so, neither wanted to deal with either Draco or the Gryffindor trio. Winry was actually thankful that she had been sorted into a house with smaller prejudices.

"You know what I mean. Sometimes, you look like you're about to say something, Harry, too, and then change your mind. And you're mad if you think I believe that the reason you haven't been doing your homework, and sent that textbook flying in Charms due to lack of concentration, is because you're eager for the hols."

Edward ran a hand down his face. Of course…Draco was perceptive, and would pick up on the fact that something was going on. It wasn't that he didn't _trust_ Draco with the information…it was Draco's housemates that he didn't trust.

Harry felt the same, and they had all agreed not to tell Draco until they had a better grasp of the Slytherin house, and if any of them would curse their own to get them to spill any secrets.

However, Draco was at a boiling point, and looked almost hurt that he wasn't being let in on it.

"Look…Draco…" Edward eventually explained as he glanced around.

Nobody was paying any mind to them…they had already done their pointing and whispering about Gryffindors and a Slytherin sitting with each other, and some of it had worn off as the year had progressed that Edward and Harry were friends with Draco.

Now, everyone was too excited about their break, and talking to their friends about what they were doing.

"…it's not that we don't trust you. You're a good bloke," Edward explained, and prayed Draco understood. "And, yea, we have a secret…"

Draco opened his mouth to protest.

Harry cut him off, "It's your housemates we don't trust. We once caught Crabbe and Goyle about to hex you in a corridor after class."

Draco blinked. "I don't recall this…"

"Because we stopped 'em," Edward responded.

It had been with alchemy, too. Edward and Harry had been behind the two Slytherins, since they stayed to wait for Hermione to finish asking the teacher a question, and had seen the two raise their wands. Since nobody else was around, Edward used his alchemy to put a wall between the two as they fired their spells…which rebounded off the corridor floor used for the wall, and hit the casters, instead.

Both had to be levitated to the Hospital Wing by Flitwick, due to a Jelly-Legs jinx.

Of course, by the time Flitwick had gotten out of the classroom with Hermione, the wall was gone, and there were two whining Slytherins on the ground while Harry and Edward looked innocent.

They couldn't be blamed, either, because their wands revealed that the last spell they had used was a Levitation Charm that they were using in class.

"Oh…" Draco muttered. "But you know, I'd never tell them a secret of yours no matter what they did to me."

"Yea…but we're worried about what it might mean for you," Edward said slowly.

Draco frowned.

"They don't want for you…and I suppose I don't want it, either…to get hurt," Hermione was the one that explained what the boys were having trouble saying.

"But you know…and I'm sure she does, too!" Draco pointed vaguely at Winry.

"Winry lives next door, and she's known about it for a while…plus, her dormmates wouldn't hex her to oblivion to find out her secret," Edward stated.

Winry nodded. "Everyone mostly keeps to themselves, there. Some chatter and experimenting, yes…Professor Flitwick had to clean up a mess made by a couple of the more curious Ravenclaws…but everyone values their personal space."

Draco frowned unhappily. "Wish I could have been in your house, then. I would have even taken Gryffindor! I had to learn how to ward my bed because everyone gives me looks I don't trust."

Edward looked meaningfully at the girls.

Hermione sighed. "Well…you're welcome to join us on the train. Ed and Harry aren't taking it due to some family business I'm not sure about, but Winry and I don't mind."

Winry nodded. She wasn't _friends_, per say, with Draco yet, but she at least tolerated him and was starting to realize that he wasn't anything like what she had heard. That, and since Edward, who Probed people, was so sure he was a "decent bloke", then she would give him a chance.

"Alright, but don't try to change the subject. What's the big secret?" Draco glanced nervously at the ceiling to try and judge the time. Somehow, the group had managed to deter him from finding out, and the carriages would be arriving soon. Some students were already beginning to form a line at the door.

"All we can say right now is that my brother was hurt badly in an accident, and we might have found a way to cure him. It could be dangerous, but we've been given permission to attempt it over break. The secretive business was our research on it," Edward admitted.

Draco blinked in surprise, then narrowed his eyes. "There's more, isn't there."

Harry thought on it, then smiled. "I've got it. We'll ask Aunt Trisha if we can have a Christmas party, and invite you. If all goes well, we can tell you, in detail, at the house. Can't have any eavesdroppers listening in."

Draco seemed satisfied with this. "Alright. Good luck with it, then. Nothing against the girls, but I'd rather you two show up after the hols are over with, rather than I have to visit you in St. Mungo's."

It was a bit crass, but it was Draco's way of saying "be careful and come back safe". Even the boys were able to understand, and the girls had to hold back giggles at how clumsy he was with his concern.

"Okay. Hermione, we'll invite you, too. That's probably it…" Harry mused.

Hermione smiled happily. "Thank you, Harry! And Edward, of course!"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck with a blush, and Edward rubbed his nose with a grin.

Winry snickered. "You embarrassed them!"

"Did not!" the two boys shouted, but it was quite obvious that they were a bit bashful at being thanked for just offering to invite someone to a party.

Draco snickered, then stood up as some shouts went across the hall. "Carriages are here. We might as well go before we're stuck in a compartment with someone that wants to hex me."

Winry hugged Edward and Harry, then whispered, "Be safe. You'll probably have it done by the time we get back to London, so…oh, just stay safe!"

Edward blushed when she clung to him longer, since Winry knew that it was Edward performing the alchemy. Harry snickered at his plight, which earned him a small glare from the other.

Finally, Winry, Hermione, and Draco left the Great Hall after wishing them luck.

Harry and Edward purposely dawdled at the end of the line, and then, broke off successfully from the main group when nobody was looking to go to the Headmaster's office.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	25. To the Gate and Back

Disclaimer over here!

No notes…on with it!

* * *

Chapter 25: To the Gate and Back

Trisha was waiting at the end of the fireplace to catch Edward and Harry, though Edward at least didn't stumble _too_ much when he used the floo. Alphonse was nearby, waiting nervously.

Edward looked around and brushed himself off. "I suppose…the old man didn't come home?"

Trisha shook her head 'no', too afraid to speak. Alphonse had told her what Edward needed to do, and that he had to do it alone, and she was hesitant to let her son plunge into danger like that. However, the Philosopher's Stone that Flamel made was a beacon of hope.

"Dumbledore is gonna check periodically in the fire," Edward informed them, then pulled a small, red fragment of a rock out of his pocket.

"That's it?" Alphonse asked breathlessly.

Edward nodded. "Yep. Were the wards in the basement breached, yet?"

"Sensei and I were able to take down all but one," Alphonse responded.

"Why?" Trisha asked.

"Cause…the light might be really bright. It's daytime, but people might still notice. Even if we put up charms, wizarding folk here would know," Edward responded as he headed to the basement, Harry on his heels.

"What are you going to do, then?" the speaker was none other than Izumi Curtis.

Edward smiled in relief when he noticed that. "Well, I was gonna say we call ya, but since you're here…Harry and I will help, and we'll all try to breach the basement. If not…I guess we'd hafta clear a spot in the living room. Mom should stay by the fire to await Dumbledore."

Trisha was hesitant, but gave Edward a brief hug and agreed.

Izumi nodded, and she and Alphonse moved to the doorway that led down the stairs, following the other two.

There were already alchemy matrixes drawn on the wall; Alphonse had figured out _how_ to break the ward, but there was insufficient energy _to_ break the ward.

"Okay…everyone ready?" Edward grinned at his group.

Alphonse, Izumi, and Harry nodded.

"On three…we hafta do it at the same time. Nice thinking, Al."

Alphonse blushed, but took up his station at a matrix at his level, while Izumi did likewise with one higher up, and Harry took the one on the floor. Edward stood next to Harry, intending to help with the main, center matrix.

"One…two…three!"

On three, all of them put their hands on their matrixes, and a brilliant light ran around the walls, containing energy so strong that it could have blown an observer off their feet. It did, however, succeed in breaking the final ward. There was no audible sound or visible confirmation, but the four alchemists could _feel_ the final ward deteriorate.

When the energy died down, they all exchanged looks.

"I'll go first, just in case," Izumi told the boys. "Then…I'll help Al get down, and it's all yours, Ed. You know everything you need? Have everything?"

"Yep." Edward nodded solemnly.

Izumi gave him another nod, then headed down the stairs.

The boys all looked down into the darkness, and had to flinch back when a light clicked on.

"Amazing the lights still work…oh. It's oil. No wonder."

The boys grinned at hearing Izumi's voice, then she soon became visible as she came up the stairs.

"Well, there's nothing incriminating down there…a large space, some work tables that will have to be pushed aside, and a couple bookshelves. Do _not_ touch anything on there until your mother and I have inspected them for curses," Izumi warned the boys.

Edward nodded. Today, his reason was solely to get Alphonse's legs back.

"Alright, then." Izumi easily lifted Alphonse out of the wheelchair as if he were a toddler instead of a ten year old boy, and carried him down.

"Good luck, Ed," Harry said and held out his hand.

Edward clasped it and gave him a nod, then turned and headed down the stairs.

Izumi was at the bottom, and sat Alphonse down in the center after using her wand to move some tables against the walls to be out of the way.

Edward nodded in approval, and pulled out a piece of chalk.

Izumi clasped him on the shoulder and gave it a squeeze, a look of concern on her face, then grew resolute. "You can do it."

It was more than just a mission, it was also facing his fear of the Gate, and they both knew it.

"Right. Thanks, sensei."

Izumi gave him another pat, then walked up the stairs and closed the door.

Edward didn't hear two sets of footsteps move, and figured that both Harry and Izumi were either waiting outside the door, or Izumi was trying to convince Harry to join Trisha in the living room.

Edward smiled slightly, then turned to his work as he began on the matrix.

Alphonse watched his brother work meticulously in silence, his keen eye alert for the various symbols and shapes that were making their way through the basement floor made of a gray stone.

After what seemed an eternity, Edward tossed the piece of chalk aside and pulled out the shard of the Philosopher's Stone.

"Are you sure you don't want mom to put you in an enchanted sleep?" Edward asked seriously as he made his way to the outside of the complex matrix.

"No. Go ahead…I trust you, Ed."

Edward gulped against a lump in his throat. How could Al trust him after what happened with the first one…?

As if he read his mind, Alphonse crossed his arms as he lay in the middle. "Don't even start looking guilty! I agreed as much as you to heal mom! It could have very well been _you_ that wound up like this, and if that was the case, we probably would never have solved it!"

"Al…"

"It's not your fault, and I don't blame you. Besides…you're making it better. Are you going to try and get your muscles back, too?"

Edward shook his head 'no'. "Not sure if there's enough energy, and I'm not risking asking for more. Besides…Winry would kill me since she wouldn't be able to fix and measure new automail."

Alphonse chuckled. "That's Winry. She'll probably be arriving home in a couple of hours. Best have good news for her!"

"We will. Ready, Al?"

"Do it."

Edward took a deep breath, then let it out and clapped his hands together, Philosopher's Stone in between a couple fingers. Then, with the added energy, put his palms down on the outside line of the matrix and activated in a flash of white and red energy.

* * *

Edward found himself standing in that same, blank white space, with a grinning humanoid in front of him, just like last time, its back to a Gate similar to the one that opened to permit him entry to the strange world.

"Are you here for your leg? You paid quite a toll…an amplifier, huh?" the thing said.

"No…I'm here for Al's legs."

The thing grinned. "You sure you don't want your own? It wouldn't be difficult."

Edward shook his head and took a step forward, fear pushed aside. "I came here for one reason, and that's Al's legs! Let…let me keep mine the way they are as punishment for doing something forbidden in the first place! Mom was probably supposed to die, and we used alchemy to save her. I'm grateful, but I know we still went out of bounds. I'll keep this, then, as a reminder…that I'm still human, and I still make mistakes."

The thing stared a moment, then laughed for a long while.

Edward just stood there and waited for the creature to stop.

"Very interesting, Edward Elric! Very interesting, indeed! Take them!" The thing pointed to a spot behind Edward.

Edward blinked and spun around to see another thing sitting there, only this one was slightly different in that there were strange lines running down its legs. The thing that had been talking to Edward had an oddly colored area on its left leg, from the knee down.

Edward realized with a jolt that the 'oddly colored area' was his muscle, and the lines were Alphonse's nerves. Without fear, he strode up to the thing that was Alphonse's, and looked it in the face, since it had no features except a mouth. "I'm here to get Al's legs back. I brought this to pay for it."

The thing tilted its head when Edward held up the shard of the Philosopher's Stone. Then, it bowed its head in a nod and held out its hand.

Edward tossed the shard to the thing, which dissolved the second the stone touched the creature's hand.

The doors behind it opened, and Edward was forced to shield his eyes from an intense light that flooded through. When the light was gone, he was, again, facing the creature, and the door was closed.

Only this time, it was pure white, with nothing on its legs.

A voice from behind him spoke, "Your door is closing, Edward Elric. You might wish to hurry…your toll has been paid for your return trip, but it's not a fault of mine if you miss it."

Edward didn't have to be told twice, and ran to the door that he had come out of…not that he had to. Like the first time, black tendrils reached out and grabbed him in order to make sure he went back through since he had already paid the price.

The last thing Edward saw of the world was the grinning face of the strange being.

* * *

When Edward opened his eyes again, he realized he was face-down on the ground, on his stomach, with his hands in front of him. At first, everything was a blur in his mind. Then, he remembered what had happened.

Al in the center.

The transmutation.

The Gate.

The thing beyond the Gate.

The toll.

Al…

Edward immediately jerked to a kneeling position as he spied Alphonse in the center of the matrix. The boy was sitting up, and flexing his toes while he stared at them in awe, as if he had never seen them before in his life.

"Al…?" Edward croaked.

Alphonse looked up, tears in his eyes. "Ed…I…I can feel them! I can move my toes! I can feel the floor…my trousers…I can _feel_ it, Ed!"

Edward let out a half laugh, half sob as he flung himself at his brother and all but tackled the boy in a giant hug.

Alphonse _was_ in tears as he held back, laughing along in relief and joy.

After a few moments of hugging and crying, the boys pulled apart, both with soft smiles on their faces.

"Knew you could do it, Ed," Alphonse said quietly.

"Glad you're cured, Al," Edward replied as he wiped his eyes.

Alphonse beamed up at him. "This means…I can go to Hogwarts next year!"

Edward laughed shakily, then stood up and offered his hand to his brother.

Alphonse took it, then stumbled once he was on his feet. "Woa!"

Edward was ready, however, and steadied him.

"…if I can re-learn to walk…" Alphonse blushed.

Edward grinned and knelt down, back to his brother. "You will. Mom will be there to make sure of it. The Rockbells will prolly help, too. Now, get on. We've gotta tell the others!"

Alphonse climbed onto Edward's back and hung on as his brother stood up.

It was a slow process, going up the stairs; Edward was a bit drained, but still going on adrenaline and euphoria at the accomplishment. That, and he didn't want to jostle Alphonse too much, though the boy was entertained by watching himself flex his own toes.

Edward kicked the door a couple of times with his foot, knowing that Izumi and Harry hadn't left (unless they did when he was unconscious, at least).

Immediately, the door flew open to reveal a worried Izumi and an anxious Harry.

"Well?" teacher and pupil almost demanded at the same time.

Edward grinned and tilted his head to his brother. "Look for yourself."

Alphonse laughed and flexed his toes for them.

Izumi beamed proudly, while Harry cheered and patted Edward on the arm. He wanted to hug them, but that would off balance them and send them back down the stairs.

"Let's go fill in your mother and Dumbledore," Izumi led them away from the basement, and closed the door behind her.

"You bet!" Edward beamed.

"You have all your limbs? Nothing missing?" Harry asked as they moved down the hallway.

"I'm fine! The Gate accepted the toll." Edward beamed.

"Al?" Harry queried, since Alphonse wouldn't lie if Edward was hiding something.

"He's all there!" Alphonse laughed. He couldn't see Edward's affronted look or the eye roll, but he heard and felt the boy snort.

"Don't trust me?"

"You always downplay how hurt you really are," Alphonse responded smartly.

Edward scowled again, which caused Harry to chuckle.

When they arrived at the living room, Trisha shot to her feet and ran over.

"Mom, look!" Alphonse proudly demonstrated how he could flex his toes for her.

Trisha smiled despite her tears of joy, and waited until Edward had set Alphonse down on the couch before she pulled him into her lap and hugged him. Then, she gestured for Edward to come over, and pulled him into the embrace, whispering words of relief and how proud she was of them.

Izumi placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, though the boy hardly felt left out. Both understood that it was a moment for the Elrics, since neither had been around when the boys first performed the forbidden alchemy to save her.

Harry smiled up at Izumi, tears shining in his green eyes.

Izumi grinned back down at him, and gave a nod.

Harry laughed, then jumped onto the couch and joined in the group hug when he felt enough was enough.

Edward, Alphonse, and Trisha easily accommodated him, which left Izumi to speak to the head of Dumbledore that was in the fire.

"Everything went perfectly. Seems the sliver of the Stone was used up to pay the toll. Edward suffered no repercussions, and unlike some magic spells and potions, in alchemy, it would have been immediately obvious if there was one," Izumi explained.

The head bobbed as if in a nod, and a smile spread on the face of the man.

Izumi wondered how his eyes could seem to twinkle even as a disembodied head in the fireplace, but didn't inquire about it. "Al has use of his legs again…we'll have to re-teach him how to walk, but he should be walking around on his own by the time the boys come home again."

"Very good to hear," Dumbledore finally spoke.

At hearing the voice, Edward scrambled off the couch, eyes bright, and stopped in front of the fireplace. "Thank you so much, sir! Thank Mister Flamel for us, too, please?"

It was rare to hear Edward remembering his "P's and Q's", which impacted on just how much the boy had been looking forward to this day.

Dumbledore winked at the boy. "I shall let him know, and you are most welcome, my boy. Izumi tells me that she believes the sliver was used up? You understand why I must know."

Edward nodded. "Yea. I had to use the entire thing to pay the toll, get Al's legs, then come back. I…I can't thank you enough, sir…and Mister Flamel."

There were echoes of "thank you" from Trisha, who was too elated at what transpired to form more of a coherent sentence, and Alphonse, who repeated the phrase. Harry joined in, as well.

"You are all quite welcome. I shall stop in again soon, or when I next hear from Remus. In the meantime, I have some final preparation to do."

Edward, though he was tired and had gone through an emotional period, knew that the old man was referring to keeping the rest of the Stone from Voldemort. "I understand, sir. Thanks, again!"

A final nod (and twinkle), and Dumbledore faded from the fireplace.

Edward stared a moment at the flames, then took a deep breath and let it out.

"What about your leg?" Harry finally ventured.

Edward shook his head with a grin, and joined the rest of his family on the couch, while Izumi found a place on the armchair. "I'm fine as it is. I'll keep it…I don't mind. Besides…I don't want Winry to cry. Or worse…hit me with her wrench! I think she _did_ trade her plastic toy wrench for a metal one!"

Laughter filled the house, mostly from the joy and release of tension, and letting go of the fears that surrounded the "what if" of the situation.

"Ya know, I wasn't kidding about the wrench…"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	26. A Very Elric Christmas Part I

I still own absolutely nothing!

I had to look up a moon chart for December of 1991 to make sure everything worked, and thankfully, it did. ^^;;

Oh...the little mentions of Edward's "taste" in design is a reference to the manga/second anime where he tends to make things with demon heads and skulls because he thinks it's "cool". Nuff said. XD

Just a reminder, I know Risembool isn't a real place in England (or anywhere in the real world, at least), but it felt more appropriate having them be there instead of some look-alike English town. So, in this story, there is a Risembool, England. ;p

* * *

Chapter 26: A Very Elric Christmas, Part I

"Mom! Ed's transmuting the tree again!" Al shouted through the house.

"I'm just adding some flare to it!" came the protest.

Harry snorted as he looked at the demon horns and very odd items that littered the tree as ornaments. "Your taste, as usual, is awful."

Edward scowled at him and stuck out his tongue.

"Edward!" Trisha sighed when she caught sight of it. "You change those ornaments back right now! Everyone will be here soon, and I'll not have them seeing _that_!"

Edward pouted, but did as he was told. "D'you think it's bad taste, too?"

It took Trisha a moment to find the right words for it that wouldn't result in hurting her son's feelings. "It's…artistic…but not appropriate for Christmas."

Edward still sulked.

It had been a week since Alphonse had his legs working again, and could walk only with the aid of forearm crutches, though not for very long. He couldn't do stairs yet, but his legs were still better than they had been before.

The boy now sat on Harry's shoulders, hanging some tinsel and stockings over the fireplace, but being careful of where they were positioned so their guests who flooed in wouldn't get tangled in it.

Invitations had gone out by owl, and all had been returned with positive notes.

Draco and his mother, Narcissa, were coming, along with Remus, who had hit yet another dead end. Hermione had owled in return, which showed that her parents were starting to get accustomed to the wizarding world, but would be arriving by train, so the group had to hurry and finish decorating to get down to the station and pick her up.

Winry was coming, of course, along with Pinako. The girl's parents still had to work at St. Mungo's, being doctors, but that had been expected. The final two coming were Izumi and Sig.

Belatedly, Trisha wondered if there was room to accommodate such a large amount of people in the house, but she hadn't thought of that until after everyone had accepted the invitations.

There were eight guests, plus herself and the boys, which totaled twelve people.

Trisha had to transfigure a couple normal chairs into armchairs, and just figured that they would eat in the living room since their kitchen was much too small for a group of twelve.

Harry stumbled over to the couch to let Alphonse down as the flashes of light went away that signaled Edward had finished putting the ornaments back the way they had been.

"…Draco woulda thought they were cool…" Edward was heard muttering as he went to the closet by the door to get his coat.

Trisha chuckled and shook her head. "Well, Draco isn't the only guest. Now, are you sure you'll be alright?"

"Mom! I've been at Hogwarts for half a year, and been through the Gate _twice_! I think I can go to the train station by myself!" Edward scowled slightly.

Harry laughed, and Alphonse giggled.

Trisha chuckled and handed her son his Gryffindor colored hat. "Be careful, then. There's a small layer of snow, so watch for ice."

"Got'cha." Edward grinned as he pulled his boots on and then took the hat from his mother.

"Mittens, Edward!" Trisha scolded when the boy had been about to walk out the door.

"And your scarf, Ed!" Alphonse added.

"I only need one mom, thanks!" Edward shouted playfully at his brother.

Alphonse and Harry dissolved into laughter again as Trisha wrapped Edward's scarf around his neck, then handed him the mittens.

"My own colors are yellow and black…but red and gold fits you," Trisha told her son as she gave him a pat on the shoulder of his red jacket.

Edward grinned, then opened the door. "Be back soon with Hermione!"

"Alright. And when you leave, don't slam the…!"

BAM!

Alphonse and Harry snickered as Trisha sighed.

"…door behind you. Oh, well…are you boys ready?"

"Yep!" Alphonse chirped.

"Yes." Harry nodded.

"Alright…let's stay away from the fireplace, because everyone should be arriving soon, then."

* * *

The snow wasn't piled too high; it never was in Risembool, after all, which typically had moderate weather. Still, that didn't stop Edward from jumping from spot of snow to spot of snow on his way to the station. He was still slightly on euphoria from the successful healing of his brother, and tried to ignore that he still had the problem of Harry's Horcrux.

Oh, he knew _how_ to deal with it, the only problem was getting to that point. He already had knew the matrix for transferring a soul to an inanimate object, but since they wouldn't have an amplifier, they would have to probably give something up.

The question was _what_.

Edward also had a sinking feeling that it would be Harry that would have to give something up, as well. So, he had started to wonder what the boy could possibly give to have the souls separated. Also, there was how Harry would get back, if they were going down that route.

There was the option of Red Water, but who knew how long it would take to decipher the notes in the basement (which they still weren't allowed in), or if there was anything mentioned more in depth about it.

That, and between Dumbledore's warning from Flamel of "inhumane methods", and whatever Hoenheim had tried to propose to Trisha that made her actually argue with him…

Well, Edward wasn't quite sure he would be seeking to make a Philosopher's Stone the way the old man obviously studied it.

Edward shook his head as he neared the station. _I told myself I wouldn't think about it! Not till after the stuff with Quirrell is done with!_

Sure, he somewhat trusted the adults to protect the stone, but there was that incident at Halloween…

Adults didn't always know best…his old man, for example, who up and left to supposedly find a cure for Alphonse, when the cure was under their noses the entire time.

Edward shook his head. _Not gonna think bout that bastard, either! Christmas! It's Christmas, and we're having a party! I'll hafta tell Draco about alchemy, but that's a minor detail._

The boy flopped down on a bench and glanced at the clock. Hermione's train was due to arrive within the next ten minutes, so he just relaxed and stretched out as he watched people bustle back and forth at the station.

Edward hadn't even realized he had zoned out until he heard the loudspeaker kick in, announcing that Hermione's train had arrived by stating the number of it.

The boy, rather than jumping onto the ground, stood up on the bench in order to see over the sea of coats and hats from people getting on and off the train. It didn't take him long to recognize the bushy red hair, especially since it was half hidden under a Gryffindor colored hat much like his own.

"Hermione!" Edward called over the various people and waves his arms over his head with a big grin. "Hermione~!"

The girl glanced around, then spied Edward and seemed to half chuckle, half sigh, before she pulled her small suitcase behind her. Her parents had agreed to let her spend the night, since she would be back in time to spend Christmas Eve with her family, and it made more sense than boarding a train, staying a few hours, and then getting back on a train.

Hermione made her way to Edward with a smile. She had already been informed of the transmutation (partially, at least; attached to her invitation was a letter that simply said: "It was a success"), and would have known that, anyway, if Edward's smile was anything to go by. "Honestly, Edward…"

Edward chuckled and hopped down. "How else was I supposedta see ya? Everyone's super tall!"

Hermione laughed lightly. "Not everyone is super short."

Edward colored. "Who're you calling shorter than a bean?"

More laughter from Hermione.

Edward snickered, then gestured for her to follow. "When I left, nobody came, but they've prolly arrived already…I'll show you to the house!"

"I'd hope so."

Edward grinned. "But…welcome to Risenbool!"

Hermione smiled. "Certainly less snow than back home."

"Mm…we usually don't get too much snow. Barely enough to make a snowman outta. We've got plain, boring farmland. The muggle area is down in this area, and the non-muggles are up the hill. Though, sensei lives with the muggles though she's not. You'll getta meet her…"

"Sensei? Isn't that Japanese?"

Edward bobbed his head as they walked along the snow dusted path away from the station. "Yep! She teaches us martial arts. I mean, we grew up with alchemy, not wands…sides, what if you get disarmed or lose your wand? Gotta know how to defend yourself!"

Hermione did see the point in that, and it was a very good point, too.

"She also tutored us in alchemy, too." Edward smiled fondly, then shook his head and continued up the hill. "Her name's Izumi Curtis, and her husband is a muggle, but _huge_, but not bigger'n Hagrid, of course."

Hermione grinned. "Edward, it'd be difficult to find someone bigger than Hagrid. But, you must be in a good mood…I've never heard you…well…_babble_."

Edward gaped. "I'm not _babbling_! I'm…uh…talking excitedly!"

Hermione smiled. She supposed the boy did have something to be happy about, since whatever happened with his brother had been successful.

"Plus, Remus is gonna be there!" Edward strung his hands behind his head since he couldn't stick them in his pockets, what with the mittens over them.

"Remus?"

"Remus Lupin…friend of Harry's dad. We call him 'Uncle Moony'. He's wicked. And…" Edward stopped himself with a small frown.

"What?" Hermione inquired as she tore her gaze off the scenery (which, in her opinion, was beautiful, being countryside covered in a thin layer of snow) to look at her friend.

"Uh…noth'n." Edward shook his head. _And it's like having a dad around, when he's there…but, I'm not gonna think about it._

Hermione blinked when Edward grinned again.

"That's Winry's house." Edward pointed out a two-story house that had a sign on the outside that read "Rockbell Automail". "Her parents work at St. Mungo's…doctors, both of them. Her Gran, though…she invents this magical prosthetic called 'automail'. Though, it's also available for muggles, just without any enchantments and all."

"What sort of enchantments? Winry told me a bit about automail, of course."

"Water repelling charms, for one…though, they can be removed, cause they _do_ have to be cleaned…you'd hafta ask her for the others." Edward beamed, then led Hermione up the next path on the other hill not too far from Winry's house.

When they passed through the fence, and a bare tree with a swing that had a layer of snow on it, Edward stepped up to the front door and smiled. "And this…is home."

The boy turned the knob, since it had been left open for him, then opened the door with a grin. He could see the forms of people in the living room, though couldn't make out who they were at the moment. "I'm home, mom! Hermione's here, too!"

Trisha came around from the living room, and smiled at the girl. "Well, let her in, Edward!"

Edward grinned and stepped aside to let the girl in, then pulled his boots off while he still stood on the welcome mat.

"Everyone else arrived, and are in the living room," Trisha informed the two. "Edward, can you take Hermione's trunk to Harry's room? He'll be sharing with you and Alphonse tonight."

"Kay." Edward took said item and scampered to get it into Harry's room so he could join the party.

* * *

When Edward got back downstairs, he grinned and leapt up at the nearest person with a fist aimed at their head.

Izumi spun and grabbed his fist, then twisted around so that he went head over heels and landed with a small 'thud' on the carpet.

There was a small silence in the room, though Trisha just shook her head and Harry and Alphonse grinned.

Edward sat up with a chuckle. "Hadta give you a proper greeting, sensei! I wasn't able to when you last came over!"

Izumi smirked and helped the boy up. "You got a lot closer than Harry did."

Harry pouted. "He's been training longer than I have."

Izumi had been one of the first people to arrive, after Remus did, so this was the first time the others had seen the odd way of greeting that master and pupil had. Winry knew of their relationship, so she, too, hadn't been shocked.

"She teaches us martial arts," Alphonse explained to a stunned Hermione and Draco.

"So, she's always giving us tests, and expects us to test her now and then," Harry finished the explanation.

"Martial arts?" Draco frowned in slight confusion. "That muggle thing?"

"Yea, it's a muggle thing, but it's bloody useful," Edward piped into the conversation after he said the rest of his 'hellos' (which entailed jumping on Remus to hug him, and exchanging a customary insult with Pinako).

"How so?" Draco looked interested.

"Well…if you ever lost your wand, and you can't do alchemy, then it's the last line of defense," Edward explained.

"Alchemy?" Draco eyed the boys.

Winry shrugged. "I can't do it…"

"You can perform alchemy?" the question came from a woman with blond hair down to her shoulders and blue eyes. She didn't _look_ like a very pleasant person, but looks could always be deceiving.

"This is my mother," Draco introduced the woman to the boy that had missed the introductions, as well as to Hermione.

"Narcissa," the woman stated, though the absence of her last name didn't go unnoticed.

Still, to be on the safe side, Edward gave her a small Probe as Hermione replied with a "pleased to meet you". Like Draco, he got a "fell from grace" feeling, as well as reform; the woman had probably been nasty in the past, but now, she had changed herself into a dutiful mother.

In that case, Edward nodded. "Al can do it, too. So can Harry." He left out the parts about not needing a matrix; he didn't know Narcissa enough to tell her, and if she recognized the term 'alchemy', there was a small possibility that she knew what it meant for someone to be able to do alchemy without a matrix.

"Can you demonstrate?" Draco asked eagerly.

Edward looked to his mother, who nodded.

"Just none of your…more creative versions of things," Trisha warned.

In other words: Don't transmute anything to look like the Christmas ornaments had.

For the most part, the adults had agreed to let the kids be kids, and not force them into small talk that they would be making. Remus had offered to help Trisha in the kitchen to prepare the meals, and though Trisha argued it at first, once Izumi also offered her services, the two managed to convince the woman.

For now, they were all in the living room, however.

Edward searched his pockets for his emergency piece of chalk, then beamed when he found it. He ran over to the coffee table and drew a simple matrix on it, then put the chalk down and put his hands on the edge of the matrix.

In a flash of light and energy, the table had given up some of its wood to make a wooden hawk, though it still had its legs attached to the table.

"Wanna have a go, Al?" Edward grinned.

Alphonse pushed himself off the couch and didn't have to go far to get to the table, then took a turn in changing the hawk into something else. The hawk morphed, and some more wood was added from the table to turn it into a small horse figurine.

Narcissa was shocked, and even Draco's jaw was nearly on the ground. Everyone else was fine, as they had seen alchemy before. Though, that didn't stop Remus from watching in amazement and pride, particularly as the Elric brothers gestured for Harry to have a go.

"And, I think mom would want her table back, so you're up, Harry!" Edward grinned.

Harry chuckled, then focused on the energy, and transmuted the horse back into the table, which, except for the chalk sigil, didn't look like it had been messed with at all.

"Can I learn that?" Draco breathed in awe.

"You can try…not everyone can do it, though," Edward warned him, though he was eager to see if anyone else could perform alchemy. "Winry and Hermione weren't able to do it. Even mom can't do it."

"Where did you learn it, then?" Narcissa inquired.

"Sensei taught us a bunch about it!" Edward replied without hesitation as the boys erased the sigil.

Izumi gave Narcissa a nod. "Yes…I can do it, too. Actually, I specialized in alchemy and martial arts, though I'm really just an average housewife to anyone that asks. I have a wand, but I don't often use it…was tutored a little, but didn't really attend any school for it."

"Interesting," Narcissa responded.

"Have you any knowledge of the subject?" Izumi inquired.

Narcissa shook her head 'no'. "Only that it was said to be a forgotten art. I didn't think anybody could still perform it."

Trisha chuckled. "Well, my boys certainly can."

"A rare gift, indeed…" Narcissa mused.

Edward could see that he wasn't the only one uncomfortable with some of the conversation, and he could also tell that, if the questions continued, Hoenheim would be brought up, and he really didn't want to think about the old man at a party.

So, the eldest Elric looked to his mother. "Can we show Draco and Hermione the study? Please?"

"Please?" Alphonse and Harry echoed.

Trisha laughed. "Very well…but stay away from the advanced books, and don't go into the basement!"

"We know!" Edward helped his brother up, then gestured for the other kids to follow, including Winry, if she so wanted to.

Winry jumped at the chance to get away from what was probably going to turn out to be boring adult talk, and followed. Harry led the way, since Edward was helping Alphonse with the stairs, since the 'study' happened to be in the attic.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	27. A Very Elric Christmas Part II

Disclaimer says…the author of this fanfic owns nothing! That'd be me. ^^;;

* * *

Chapter 27: A Very Elric Christmas, Part II

Before the party, Edward had worked with Alphonse and Harry to create wards around any book that was more than just a basic look into alchemy and potions, since they didn't want just anyone to be able to get their hands on it. They were asked to do the same for the basement, which meant that they could break their own wards, but nobody else, save for maybe their teacher, would be able to enter.

While Edward's abilities seemed to stretch across the whole of the alchemy scale at an extremely high and advanced level, Alphonse had a talent with one end in setting up wards, and Harry's was a weaker version of Edward's, in that he could do anything related to alchemy except the more complicated matrixes.

"So this is your study? Quite small…" Draco looked around with a raised brow.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Well, sorry for not being ridiculously rich."

Alphonse giggled and Harry grinned.

Winry glanced around. "Actually, I think this is the first time I've ever been in the study at your house. I'm usually not allowed up here."

The boys shrugged.

"Nobody's really allowed…like the basement." Alphonse seated himself on a beanbag chair that they had dragged into the room while Edward went in search of the beginner's book.

Hermione was looking around the shelves, impressed with the titles that she had never seen before, while Harry just took a seat next to Alphonse.

"Potions equipment, I see…that explains your aptitude." Draco smirked as he continued to wander around the room.

The wards would prevent Draco, Hermione, and Winry from even being able to see the advanced texts and additional bookshelf, so the boys didn't have to worry about it.

"Some alchemy requires potions," Harry explained. "So, we had to learn a few things about it in order to complete some matrixes. Like alchemy, potions has to be precise, so we know how much a 'pinch' is, and to measure accurately. The slightest mistake can create a rebound or a dangerous situation."

Edward pulled the beginner's text off the shelf. "You can try again if you want, as well, Hermione. But, nobody get frustrated if they can't do it."

Draco nodded eagerly as he accepted the book and a couple pieces of paper with a pen that he made a face at.

"Would you prefer a quill? We've found that they're rather not the best for creating matrixes due to the irregular flow of the ink at times," Edward said when he noticed Draco's look.

Rather, Draco just studied the pen as if it were a foreign object. "How do you use it?"

Hermione sighed and demonstrated the use of a muggle ball point pen.

"Much more convenient than carrying around quills and ink," Hermione concluded when she finished showing him.

"Hmm…I'll have to agree with that." Draco grinned. Perhaps the subject of muggles wasn't such a bad one, after all. If he could learn all he could about the muggle way of life, then that would prove even more that the Malfoy family was no longer a part of the Dark Arts, and had truly changed.

Edward had spread out another sheet of paper and a couple books between himself, Alphonse, and Harry. "Don't touch the potions equipment…anything on the shelves, you can take down without any repercussions, just put it back where you found it."

Winry, who was still browsing, gave a nod to the boys. "So, if one of these books bites me or something, you're responsible?"

Edward scowled. "The books ain't gonna to bite you, Win."

Alphonse giggled.

"What are you working on?" Hermione, who was a genius, couldn't even begin to fathom the odd symbols and languages that was spread out between the three boys.

"Another big project."

"Speaking of projects, you still haven't told me what the big secret was." Draco looked up from the book, which, and he wouldn't admit aloud, was very confusing.

Edward glanced at his brother, then the two nodded. The elder Elric then told Draco of how they had attempted something forbidden to save their mother's life from an illness, and that the backlash had caused Alphonse to lose the nerves in his legs. He even showed them his automail, which Draco and Hermione were shocked at, in emphasis, and how their project was making sure that Alphonse could have feeling back again.

Of course, Edward left out all details about the Gate, and the creature he dubbed as 'Truth' behind it; just that it was all the result of alchemy, and that he and Harry had been researching ways to heal Alphonse without going into forbidden territory.

After another glance between them, he mentioned the Philosopher's Stone; if, for no other reason, than to bring up Quirrell and that he was dangerous.

Draco was their friend, after all, and had a right to know that the creature teaching them Defense Against the Dark Arts was most likely an incarnation of Voldemort, who was struggling to return to life.

They did, however, leave out any information about the Horcruxes; even Hermione wasn't privy to that information.

By the end, Draco had only one thing to say.

"Bloody hell."

"That about sums it up. We figured you should know about Quirrell, at least. And, just so you know, all of this information is confidential. That handshake we did with you before we told you? That's a Vow. Means, you can't tell anyone that doesn't already know about it," Edward finished.

"Old magic…it can be done without a wand," Alphonse added.

Draco hadn't felt anything different at the handshake, but now that he thought about it, his hand had tingled a little after he let go. "Well, I won't be telling anyone. Nobody in Slytherin will care, and don't worry about me being hexed…I know how to keep secrets."

The others nodded in satisfaction.

"Well, I can't get it to work." Hermione had drawn a perfect matrix on her paper, but it wouldn't activate no matter what she tried.

Draco looked up from the book to stare at Edward and Harry. "What do you plan on doing about Quirrell? You're not just going to let him roam free, are you? If he's really You-Know-Who, then he might try and off you, Harry."

"Not with Dumbledore around," Hermione interjected. "There's nothing we can really do, anyway. I'm sure there are other things guarding the stone besides the Hellhound; spells and enchantments. Plus, Voldemort…"

Draco cringed.

"…was afraid of Dumbledore. He won't dare try anything with him around, particularly if he's really leeching off of Quirrell."

Harry nodded. "That's the plan. We do nothing…let the adults handle it."

"Then what are you working on, there?" Draco indicated to the odd assortment of glyphs and sigils that lay strewn on the parchment of gibberish around the boys.

"Another project…alchemy one. Trying to solve an incomplete theory that has no documented success."

Harry had to stare at the papers to hide his grin. Once again, his cousin was able to flawlessly stretch the truth without lying.

Hermione didn't look like she was buying it, but didn't call them out on it.

Draco accepted it for what it was.

Winry already half knew what they were planning, and had resolved to stay out of it. Not only was it alchemy, but it was down the road of possibly being forbidden.

After a few moments of silence, Draco turned to his paper and drew the beginner's matrix. It wasn't as neat as Hermione's, but it would still activate if he had the ability. Another paper was placed on top of it, which was to be transmuted into an origami crane, as instructed by the exercise.

However, Draco found it easier said than done, as no matter how much he poured into it, or even the power he channeled through his wand, the paper remained a square piece of paper, and there were no lights.

"Suppose it's genetic or something…" Draco muttered as he pushed aside the papers sullenly.

"Not so sure…Uncle Moony didn't say anything about my parents being able to do it…unless one or both of them had the ability and didn't know it…" Harry trailed off curiously.

Edward shrugged. "Possible."

"No way to know, now," Harry muttered bitterly.

Alphonse reached out and patted Harry on the shoulder. "Doesn't matter…_you_ can do it, at least."

Edward, however, looked contemplative. He knew that he and Alphonse could most likely do alchemy because of who their biological father was, but how was it possible that someone that didn't come from a line of alchemists to be able to perform it?

"Maybe if you trace your family tree, there'll be something in history. Alchemy was the lost art, so it's entirely possible that someone in your family was able to do it, but either didn't know it, or it died out with them," Hermione told Harry, who nodded in response.

Draco, now that he had found something he couldn't do to be a boring topic, was once again asking about Quirrell. "How did you know it was him?"

"My scar," Harry responded. "We learned that my scar is linked to Voldemort in some way, so I can sort of sense his presence through it."

"That's handy…like a Sneakoscope."

"What's that?" Hermione inquired.

"Piece of equipment used to tell if there's someone untrustworthy around," Draco explained, and realized that he didn't mind explaining some items of the wizard world to a muggleborn, just like he somewhat enjoyed learning about their own artifacts.

The Malfoy heir then looked up. "But if you _do_ plan on doing anything, let me know, yea?"

"If we can, we will. It's difficult to sometimes just meet with Win about it," Edward informed him.

Draco nodded, satisfied that he would at least be left in the loop of the happenings now.

After a little more silence, there was a chime that echoed through the room that made Draco, Winry, and Hermione look up in confusion.

The three that lived in the Elric house, however, knew what it meant.

"That's mom." Edward closed his book and started to pack up the notes. "She uses that noise…makes it with her wand, I guess…to let us know that we've been up here too long and to come down."

Harry and Alphonse helped to gather the books, while Winry and Hermione handed said books over for Harry and Edward to put back on the shelves.

"And no wonder…it's about time for dinner." Draco gave a nod to the clock that hung up on the wall.

"I _was_ starting to get hungry…" Hermione admitted.

Winry giggled. "Not the other boys! They'll stay up here all day, reading! Especially Ed…he'll read right through the dinner chime!"

Edward scowled as he replaced books on the shelf. "That's only happened occasionally!"

"Try 'more often than not'," Harry teased his cousin.

The other kids snickered as Edward muttered under his breath.

* * *

Dinner had been simple yet excellent; Izumi was a superb chef, being an alchemist, while Trisha was excellent at home cooked meals, and Remus was great at following directions and knowing how to operate muggle stoves and cook things from living alone for years and having to cook for himself.

Conversation had been light and cheerful; the children didn't talk about alchemy at all, nor did they talk about automail. Rather, they just spoke of which school subjects they liked the best, the worst, and who their favorite teachers were.

All but Draco had agreed that Snape was, by far, their least favorite. Draco had said that he wasn't his _least_ favorite, but he could be insufferable in class, and didn't like his attitude towards Harry, Edward, and Hermione.

Potions was the one class that the boys did their homework for, as they didn't want to give Snape any reason to come down on them or pick on them. That typically meant a very aggravated Potions Master, and Trisha caught Remus grinning behind his hot cocoa when the kids talked about the man.

_"We never got along…I've nothing against him, now that we're all adults and should have grown out of petty school-boy disagreements, but I will still agree that he can be quite an unpleasant fellow."_

That had been what Remus said when asked about his grin.

Winry begged to stay the night since Hermione would be there, and Pinako finally consented to let her. Trisha offered for Remus to stay, but he didn't want to impose (particularly since they would be short a room, and he felt it inappropriate to sleep in the same room as Trisha even though they could both trust each other), and because the full moon was coming up.

So, when it came time for everyone to leave, good-byes were said, and promises of gifts were given to arrive Christmas Morning.

Draco and Narcissa were the first to leave, and after wishing the Elrics (and everyone else) a Happy Christmas, flooed back to the Malfoy Manor.

Pinako took Winry back through the floo to put together an overnight bag, and Remus left shortly after, though not without Edward, Harry, and Alphonse hinting at candy for presents, like Chocolate Frogs, or photographs for Harry.

It was transparent, their intentions, but still made Trisha compliment them when Remus left, for being respectful towards Remus' obviously low budget for spending.

Izumi and Sig were the last to leave, but it wasn't long before Winry came back through the floo on her own, and stumbled with a bag over her shoulder.

With magic, and everyone that had come over offering to help, there was little cleanup to be done from the party, except transfiguring chairs back to their rightful state and moving furniture around a bit back to where they were supposed to be.

That night, after a warning from the girls that the boys would be tortured beyond belief should they set foot in the room, and after some "goodnights" from Trisha, Hermione and Winry whispered to each other for a little while in Harry's room, while the boys whispered about alchemy plans a little now that they had some time to themselves before they finally turned in for the night.

* * *

The boys eagerly awaited Christmas Day; with everyone back with their families, it was just the Elrics, along with Remus, who had been invited to come by three very insistent boys. This, of course, included the need to do shopping for each other, though they had already gotten that out of the way before the party.

Currently, the boys lay awake at six in the morning on Christmas Day; Harry had bunked with the Elric brothers for the night even though there was nobody in his room, since it had become a Christmas tradition for them to do so.

Currently, they were trying to kill time to let their mother sleep in, and give Remus a chance to get there since he wouldn't be arriving until eight.

"So, what did you get for our friends?" Edward asked in the silence. This year, they had a lot more people to get things for, besides just each other, Winry, and their mother. Everyone else had received cards, as the boys didn't have any people they would call "friends" at muggle school.

Alphonse grinned as he peered up at the wood that separated him from his brother. "I'm not telling you what I got for you, Ed."

Harry snickered from where his bed was set up across from them.

"I know that! I mean…what'd you get for everyone else?"

"Since I don't know your friends as well as you do…I just went with cards and candy for them. I only met Draco and Hermione at the party, remember," Alphonse replied.

"He's got a point," Harry stated.

Edward snickered. "Alright, alright. What about Winry, then?"

"A mechanic kit I saw at the store. Not a very good one, since we only have allowance to go on," Alphonse admitted. "What about you, Ed?"

Edward flushed a bit. "Just candy."

"That's your present for _everyone_!" Alphonse laughed.

"Is not!" Edward whined.

Harry snickered. "It is…I'm sure everyone expects candy from you now, Ed."

Edward sulked. "I'll have you know that I got her some Chocolate Frogs. _That_ is different from last year!"

"Uh, huh…"

"Fine, what'd you get her?" Edward turned to Harry.

Harry grinned impishly. "A new wrench."

Edward paled. "Bloody hell, Harry! Are you trying to kill me?"

"Hey, she takes swings at you because of your comments, you know…" Harry pointed out, but there was a large grin on his face.

"Ungh…great. I hope you got me a helmet, then."

Alphonse laughed.

The boys didn't have much trouble picking out gifts for their friends; the most problems they had was for Remus. They didn't want him to feel like a charity case, but all three boys understood that he hardly had that much money to spend. So, they had finally worked out a plan that included a nice cover-up to what they had gotten for the man.

They called it "Operation Clothing Gifts". They got each other articles of clothing, had even gotten some for Trisha so as not to raise suspicion. They felt that Remus might know what they had done, anyway, but there was a chance he wouldn't suspect it.

Harry looked at the clock. "It's ten to seven."

The three boys exchanged looks, then scrambled out of bed.

Good enough.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	28. Cloaks, Rivals, and Talks

Still own nothing~

I was originally going to put Russell into Ravenclaw, but then decided to have him go into Slytherin for the purposes of future plotting.

A "trollop" is basically a prostitute.

* * *

Chapter 28: Cloaks, Rivals, and Talks

An Invisibility Cloak.

Of all the presents, Harry had _not_ been expecting to find that under the tree. Trisha hadn't known where it came from, and though it was difficult to hex an Invisibility Cloak, still checked it for curses.

Remus, though, had nearly choked on his hot cocoa when the item was revealed. That led to quite a few stories on his part about how Harry's father (and the other Marauders) had used that cloak multiple times to avoid trouble, search the castle, and pull pranks.

Trisha had been hesitant, but eventually gave up and allowed Harry to take the cloak back with him to Hogwarts once the holidays were over.

That was a good thing, since the boys had agreed that they should have a talk with Hagrid. From the rumors they had heard (mostly from Draco), Hagrid loved potentially dangerous animals, and would most likely know more about a Hellhound than the books they had read did.

In fact, Edward was willing to wager that Hagrid had something to do with the Hellhound in the third floor corridor.

Winry wanted nothing to do with what they had planned, as she felt that the adults would do a fine job of guarding the Stone, particularly with Dumbledore there. Hermione partially agreed, but had come too far to back out, and agreed to go with them. Draco, apparently, either had a hidden side that craved adventure, or was just eager to prove he was trustworthy to his friends. That, and he, too, didn't completely trust adults.

Thus, Hermione and Draco had agreed to go with Edward and Harry to visit Hagrid after break, and see if they could sneak some information out of him about Hellhounds.

Edward and Harry had missed the first ride due to having to floo home, but they were able to take the train on the way back.

In searching with Winry for Hermione and Draco, the three had an encounter with a tall blond boy with blue eyes, who wore a Slytherin badge.

"Watch where you're going, will you?" the boy muttered.

Edward made a face at him.

"The train's a zoo…you really expect people not to bump into each other?" Harry frowned.

The new boy opened his mouth to retort, when Winry interrupted.

"Shut it, Tringham, and just let us pass."

Edward blinked and turned to his friend. "You _know_ this prat?"

Winry nodded with a look of exasperation. "He's in our year, and hangs around Ravenclaws because he reckons he should have been put there…Russell Tringham. Completely full of himself."

"Well, my father _is_ a very important man, and has made many contributions to the world of potions with some old methods," Russell stated as he seemed to preen.

"Yea, nice, whatever…we're looking for our friends, so if you could move out of the way, that'd be great." Edward looked up at the other boy.

Russell smirked. "Alright…I'll move. If you can answer a question."

Winry sighed. "Tringham, this isn't the portal to the Ravenclaw common room! Just move your skinny arse!"

Edward and Harry inched away from Winry slightly, as they knew that, when the girl started swearing, it meant pain was soon to follow.

"You're threatening me?" Russell seemed to find that funny. "_You_?"

Winry's hand clenched in her pocket, and both boys had a sneaking suspicion that she was gripping her wrench.

"Woa, Win!" Edward attempted to calm her down. "If you maim him, you could get in trouble!"

"You're sticking up for him?" Winry glared at her friend.

"No, of course not! I think he's a pompous arse! But that doesn't mean you should wrench him!" Edward didn't mind when Winry did it to him, since he would never tattle on her, and he usually deserved it. However, this Tringham boy seemed to go by the rules, and even if they were in the same house, would probably risk having points deducted to get Winry in trouble.

Harry also attempted to hold Winry back. "It's not worth it, Winry!"

Winry suddenly stopped, then seemed to think about something. "You're right. I almost forgot…I have a wand, now."

The boys nearly panicked when she withdrew the piece of wood, but then stepped back. They hadn't learned anything practical in Defense, so Winry couldn't possibly know anything damaging, could she? The most she would do would be to smack Russell with her wand.

"I'm so scared." Russell sneered.

Harry and Edward glared at him.

Winry seemed to evaluate her wand, then smirked.

The cousins immediately withdrew, as they recognized that look on her face as the one she often got before she went from "sweet" to "beast".

"Reckon she does know a spell?" Harry whispered to Edward.

Edward gulped. "Well, Pinako's been training her to take over the automail business…Win said she learned some spells for that, right?"

Harry was suddenly very glad that he wasn't Russell Tringham.

"Now…last chance…you let us pass, or you'll be very uncomfortable for the rest of the ride, unless you can find someone to negate the effects." Winry glowered at the boy.

Russell crossed his arms. "I'm not intimidated by some half-blood trollop…"

At that point, three things happened simultaneously, and three voices intermingled.

However, if one were to separate the voices, they would have heard:

"_Aguamenti_!"

"_Locomotor Mortis_!"

"_Silencio_!"

When three wands were lowered, and breathing seemed to return to normal, there was a soaking wet, leg-locked, and silently screaming Russell Tringham.

Of course, with his legs locked it didn't take him long before he lost his balance and fell to the ground.

The three friends stared hard at the boy, still breathing a bit hard, then, without a word, proceeded past the jerk, though Winry 'accidentally' bumped him, Edward 'accidentally' stepped on his stomach, and Harry 'accidentally' kicked his arm on their way.

Rather than continue to find their friends, the three ducked into the nearest empty compartment they could find, and closed the door.

After a moment of harsh breathing, Edward glanced at Winry. "A water summoning spell?"

Winry relaxed and smiled somewhat. "It's used to test the strength of the Impervious Charms on automail. Gran showed me the movements and the theory…that was my first time using it, though."

Harry wiped his glasses, then spoke next to his cousin. "And you? When did you learn _that_?"

"In between research…simple spell I came across in the study. Leg-Locker Curse. First time using it, but it seems to have worked alright." Edward grinned.

Harry shook his head ruefully. "And all I could do was the one charm I was able to get in that book we'd checked out."

"Hey, whatever works. I'm just glad I grabbed my wand instead of clapping my hands. If Win didn't have her wand out, I probably would have lost it and transmuted his feet to the ground or something," Edward admitted.

There was a momentary silence as three exchanged looks, then burst into laughter.

* * *

Classes picked up as if nothing had happened, but now, Edward had a new plan for Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

"The…what?" Harry breathed, then glanced over to make sure it was just them in the dorm.

Yep…Neville was down in the common room, getting help from Hermione with his homework.

"Restricted section. See if there are any books on alchemy on it. I'm sure our basement would have more, but…we need to get that thing out of you as soon as possible."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his perpetually messy hair. "I thought alchemy was a forgotten art, and you know what you need to do to remove it."

"I know the theory…but there's still a large piece missing, and that's how to separate the two layers since the scar is leaking his power. Right now…the only solution would be to give something up to the Gate."

Harry frowned. "You're saying it'll require human transmutation?"

"Most likely. I'm trying to find a way around that. Though, if you do it voluntarily, or know what you're getting into, it's not as, well, rushed. When Al and I first opened the Gate, we didn't know there was a toll…didn't know there was a punishment. But now that we do know, maybe we have some influence in what is taken, so long as it's the correct answer."

"And what _is_ the correct answer?" Harry inquired.

Edward sighed. "If I knew, I wouldn't be asking to borrow your cloak."

Harry finally relented. "You know that Aunt Trisha is going to have your head if she finds out about this, right?"

Edward grinned. "Only if I'm caught. The Stone is the least of our worries for now, though learning more about Hellhounds could be interesting. So, might as well get back to research."

"Do you ever take a break?"

"I'll take a break when all these problems are fixed."

Harry frowned. "That could be a while. You once told me you wanted to find a cure for Uncle Moony's Lycanthropy, too, with alchemy."

"Without overstepping boundaries, remember. Can't fix everything with alchemy, but if there's a way…"

"How about just learning about that potion that supposedly helps? A Horcrux is one thing, but a werewolf is another."

"They're both living layers."

"Yea, but the Horcrux doesn't take over, remember."

Edward crossed his arms.

"Look…you're brilliant with potions, and I might have a fair skill with it, too. Al, as well. Between the three of us, I'm sure we can brew that potion if we can find out about it. Uncle Moony can't afford it, but we can."

Edward frowned and looked at the bed.

"You even said that not everything could be fixed with alchemy. You weren't even confident that the Philosopher's Stone would be able to separate Uncle Moony from the wolf. And then, where would you put the wolf? It's another entity triggered by the light of the full moon. It's not a Horcrux which is a spirit, only, that can be affixed to an inanimate object…"

"Metal object," Edward muttered.

"Alright, a metal object. Are you saying that the wolf would just be roaming free? It has its own body and its own mind."

"Don't you want to help him?"

Harry worried his lip. "Course I do. But…I'd rather go a safer route. If you manage to cure Uncle Moony, other werewolves are going to want it, too. You'd have to broadcast your ability, and someone might try to take advantage of that. Plus, what about the wolf that bit him?"

"Greyback?"

"Yea…don't think he'd be too happy bout it."

"I don't care what that psychopath thinks."

"You would if he targets you. Uncle Moony said that he was targeted because his father angered the wrong people, not that he blames his dad for it."

Edward looked at his cousin. "You're telling me to give up."

"I'm telling you to stick with a certainty and what you know. I'm sure Hermione would say the same thing. Winry and Draco, too. None of us want to see you turned into some slave of the Ministry…nobody speaks highly of the Ministry, and sensei seems to think they're, well…"

Edward snickered as he remembered quite well the term the woman had used to describe them.

Harry grinned a bit, as well. "So, how bout it? We look into the Wolfsbane potion, instead. You said you didn't want to investigate this Red Water…"

"Not as a solution…I _do_ want to find out about it, but if it's considered inhumane, it's not an option."

Harry nodded. "No need to go to the Restricted Section, then. Whatever is needed in my process, you'll think of. It won't be in a book, particularly not here where nobody has even heard of alchemy."

"Fine, fine…you win." Edward sulked.

Harry chuckled, then retrieved his cloak. "Don't make that face…we still have to meet up with Hermione and Draco and go see Hagrid. Time for you to be subtle. I'm not as good at lying as you are."

"Hey! I don't rightly _lie_…I just sorta stretch the truth." Edward grinned as the two boys descended the staircase.

"And we'll certainly need that ability." Harry nodded, then waved to Hermione, who had just finished with Neville.

Hermione smiled at Neville and said her goodbyes, then walked over to them. "We're still on for it, then?"

"Course." Harry indicated to the cloth under his arm.

"Why are you bringing that?"

"Well, it'll be past curfew by the time we get back. We'll help Draco back to his common room, then go up, ourselves," Edward whispered.

Hermione nodded. "Alright. Let's go meet him and see what we can't find."

"Subtly," Edward said with a grin.

Harry snickered and echoed the word, "Subtly."

Hermione gave them a look as if they had both gone nutters, then rolled her eyes and muttered something about boys, while the two cousins laughed quietly the entire way out of the common room.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	29. Of Dragons and Fluffy

If I didn't own anything in the previous 28 chapters, why would I suddenly own something, now? ;p

Only a couple more chapters left!

* * *

Chapter 29: Of Dragons and Fluffy

The walk down to Hagrid's hut was a slow one; partially because they had never been there before and needed directions. The other part was because they were still debating on what to say.

"Anyone have an idea?" Draco glanced at the three Gryffindors. "I don't think he'll tell us anything if we walk up to him and say 'd'you know anything about that three headed dog on the third floor?'."

"I was hoping you or Edward had a plan…" Harry then glanced at Hermione. "How about you?"

"Well…what if we come off as just interested in magical creatures to start with, and eventually work our way to a Hellhound? But, answer me this…why are we asking, in the first place?"

"Because I don't trust the adults to guard the Stone right," Edward responded easily enough. "That's why Win isn't joining us…she thinks it's safe as it is. I don't."

"Neither do we," Harry added. "Quirrell already made one attempt to get past the Hellhound on Halloween…what's to say he won't make another?"

"Or work something out where he'll have easy access," Draco added. "We need to know the weaknesses of a Hellhound in case he gets ahead of us and we have to stop him."

Hermione grinned wryly. "You're quite Gryffindor for a Slytherin."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Don't mix me up as a lion…I'm a snake, thanks."

Their conversation halted when they approached the wooden door of the hut.

Harry glanced back at the others, then walked up and knocked on the door. According to Remus, Hagrid had been the one that had first taken Harry away from Godric's Hollow, and the large man had often smiled and waved to Harry when they saw each other during the year.

There was a low barking that made the four exchanged worried looks.

"He wouldn't have a smaller Hellhound inside, would he?" Draco asked worriedly as he subconsciously moved so that he was in the back of the group.

"I don't think so…" yet, Hermione didn't sound too sure of herself.

"Only one way to find out." Edward shrugged, but kept his hands close together in case he had to make an emergency transmutation.

There was a "down, Fang!" from inside, and then the door opened to reveal the man they wanted to see.

"Why, 'ello, there!" Hagrid smiled at the four of them. "Dun see you lot that often round here."

"Um…" Harry stammered.

"We heard you knew lots about magical creatures, and wanted to learn about some of them!" Edward grinned.

Hagrid nodded. "That I do, but I'm very busy 'ight now…not in a state to entertain, so…"

The four exchanged a panicked look. It had already been a month since they returned from holiday break, and if Quirrell was going to act, it was going to be sometime in the four months they had remaining. They had to know about the Hellhound _now_.

The plan was shot, and out of desperation as the door closed, Harry blurted, "We know about the Philosopher's Stone!"

Hermione had told them that she believed that the other professors had helped to protect the stone, and since the current Care of Magical Creatures professor was looking to retire and had been showing his class less and less creatures that were potentially harmful, the only other person that could have brought in the Hellhound was Hagrid.

Hagrid stopped at Harry's words, but finally sighed and opened the door again. "A'right. Come in, then."

The four entered and looked around.

There was a large, gray boarhound that lay like a rug on the wooden floor, and a couple shelves with various things on them. A wooden table sat in the middle of the room, and across from the door was a fireplace that had a cauldron hanging from it over some open flames. Speaking of flames, it was almost unbearably warm in the hut.

The door closed behind them, and the four assembled themselves.

Draco took a seat on the couch, along with Edward and Hermione, while Harry took the other chair at the table.

"How'd you lot find out 'bout that?" Hagrid eyed them.

"We've known about it since almost the beginning of the year," Edward admitted.

"Except for me…" Draco muttered, as he had found out about it over Christmas break.

"After we heard about the break-in at Gringotts, and then accidentally saw the Hellhound on the third floor corridor…" Harry started.

Hagrid blinked. "Who told ye 'bout Fluffy?"

"…_Fluffy_?" Edward's jaw dropped.

Draco, who hadn't actually seen the Hellhound, just raised an eyebrow. He wasn't very familiar with Hellhounds, either, and the pictures in books didn't do them justice; Edward, Harry, Hermione, or Winry could tell anyone that much.

Harry echoed Edward's incredulous tone. "You named a three headed killer dog _Fluffy_?"

Hermione looked horrified that the creature even had a _name_.

Hagrid nodded. "Well, they ain't common, now are they? Ya dun come 'cross a three-headed dog too often, you don't."

Suddenly, before the shocked group could speak, there was a rattling in the cauldron over the fire that drew their attention.

Hagrid rushed over with a pair of large oven mitts on, and pulled out a giant, slightly speckled egg that was moving, and set it on the table.

"Uh, Hagrid, what's that?" Harry, who was the closest, felt his eyes widen. He had never seen an egg that big…there was no way it was a bird.

Draco went over, along with Hermione, while Edward finally managed to untangle himself from Fang (while muttering about dogs liking him and slobbering all over him) to crowd around the table, as well.

"This…er…well, I won it. Off a fellow down at th' pub. Been want'n one fer a while, to tell the truth…"

"One of _what_?" Harry had scooted his chair back.

Hagrid just gestured to the moving egg, which was obviously about ready to hatch.

"So, wait…" Edward wasn't too interested in magical creatures, so he paid more attention to the conversation. "Some strange bloke down at this pub just happened to have something you wanted in his pocket?"

Draco looked up. When put like that, it was very suspicious. "What did this stranger look like?"

"Dunno…never saw 'is face. Kept 'is hood up th' whole time."

Edward had a sinking feeling. "And…what did you two talk about that led him to believe you wanted this…whatever it is…egg?"

Harry half stared at the moving egg with morbid fascination, and half listened.

Hermione seemed to be doing likewise.

Draco and Edward, however, weren't fooled by outside appearances. They _were_ curious to what was in the egg, but remembered the reason they had come down. If they could steer the conversation over to Fluffy, and what else might lie behind that trapdoor…

"Well, we talked 'bout the sort of creatures I work with. Seemed a decent bloke, and was really interested in the more danger'us of magical creatures."

Draco and Edward exchanged looks.

Then Draco inquired easily, "Did he ask anything about ones you recently acquired?"

Hagrid nodded. "Yea. We talked 'bout a lotta em. He said this would be diff'cult ta handle, but I said ta him…I said, after Fluffy, this would be noth'n!"

Before Draco and Edward had time to be horrified that Hagrid would mention the Hellhound that was guarding a powerful artifact to a complete _stranger_ at some seedy _pub_, the egg cracked, and a piece of shell shot out and smacked into the wall.

A beak emerged…then an 'arm', which was more of a wing. Then a leg…then a tail…

The egg completely fell away to reveal…

"Is that a _dragon_!" Hermione exclaimed.

Hagrid beamed proudly, particularly as the dragon 'cooed'. "Yep! Been want'n one fer a long time! 'E finally hatched today…" he lifted a large finger and started to tickle the dragon under the chin. "Ain't that right, Norbert?"

"_Norbert_?" Hermione was on overload.

Harry just stared at the dragon with wide eyes.

Even Draco and Edward were amazed, particularly since it was most likely _illegal_ for Hagrid to own a dragon, or of _anyone_ to own a dragon.

Then, Edward reminded himself to focus. His single-minded determination came in handy this time, as everyone was too distracted by the dragon, who had just nearly set Hagrid's beard on fire with a hiccup, to remember why they were there…

"Hagrid, you live in a _wooden house_," Hermione had pointed out while Edward got his mind back to the task.

Hagrid didn't seem to have a problem, or realize the danger of a fire-spewing dragon in a wooden cabin of a house.

"So, uh, Hagrid…did the stranger seem interested in Fluffy?" Edward broke Hermione's incredulity and Hagrid's cooing over the dragon.

"O'course 'e was! I said it before, 'in't I? They're rare, three headed dogs! But I said to 'im…said the trick with any beast, is ta know howta tame it. Like Fluffy, even. Falls asleep if ya play 'im a bit of music."

At that, the others seemed to wake up to the situation.

"Oh, Merlin…" Draco groaned. First, Hagrid turns up with an illegal dragon which he couldn't keep, and then, he goes and lets them know that he had told an absolute stranger how to essentially defeat the first layer of defense the Stone had.

"Huddle!" Harry called in panic.

While Hagrid went back to playing with the dragon, not seemingly concerned of what he had said (or noticing it, due to the distraction of Norbert), the four gathered by the door in a circle.

"What do we do? Hagrid could get fired if he's caught with that dragon…" Harry worried.

"Not to mention that the 'stranger' was probably Quirrell, who now knows how to get past the Hellhound…" Edward refused to call the thing 'Fluffy'. The rug of a boarhound in the hut should have been 'Fluffy', and the Hellhound should have been 'Fang'.

"I don't want him to be sacked…he was a friend of my parents…" Harry gulped.

"What other choice do we have? He can't keep a bloody dragon!" Draco was on the verge of raising his voice.

"Maybe if we just let Dumbledore know, he'll pardon him?" Hermione suggested as she glanced at the boys.

Edward nodded. "Yea…Dumbledore gives second chances and stuff…benefit of the doubt. Else I'd never have been able to heal Al."

Harry agreed. "Not like _we_ know how to smuggle a dragon out of the castle…and even if we did, we wouldn't know where to take him."

"Let's go, then. All four of us should fit under Harry's cloak," Hermione stated decisively.

"Cloak?" Draco had noticed the article of clothing that Harry had under his arm, but hadn't yet been told about it. In fact, Hermione only found out recently.

"Invisibility Cloak…we can sneak back in since it's after curfew without getting caught by anyone," Harry explained.

"Brilliant." Draco breathed in awe.

The four stood back up.

"Well…thank you for your time, Hagrid…" Harry, again, seemed to be the spokesperson for them. "It's late, so we should head back…"

Hagrid looked up from his dragon with a smile. "Dun be strangers, now! Any of yas! Come back anytime!"

At seeing his smile, the group felt a little guilty about what they were going to do, but figured that, if anyone could handle the situation correctly and secretly without causing Hagrid his job, it was Dumbledore. It wouldn't be long until the dragon got too big to fit in the house (either before or after burning it down, Hermione had muttered as they hurried back to the castle under the cloak), and at that point, everyone would know and Hagrid's job would most certainly be in jeopardy.

The boys didn't rightly trust adults for various reasons, but they all agreed that they _could_ trust the Headmaster of Hogwarts. He wasn't a typical adult, after all.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	30. Down the Rabbit Hole

I…still…own…uh…some drier lint. Otherwise, nothing in this story.

I changed the set-up of the chess game; I'm not an avid chess player, and I don't really enjoy the game as much as Go, but I (and I know I'm not the only one) often wonder why Ron chose to put his friends in such dangerous positions, instead of some of the safest. Yes, rooks aren't often sacrificed, but the other pieces can be easily taken out.

* * *

Chapter 30: Down the Rabbit Hole

Exams at the end of the year were brutal to anyone whose name wasn't "Hermione Granger". The five that knew of the mystery of the Stone had difficulty sitting through their exams (minus Hermione, who was completely focused on it, and Winry, who trusted the adults) since no more attempts on the Stone had been made since the one on Halloween.

Hagrid had to give up his dragon, but wasn't sore at the kids for telling. Dumbledore had a word with him, and he understood how the kids actually did him a favor by coming straight to the Headmaster, rather than letting the dragon grow and risking Hagrid's job.

Yes, he was sad to see Norbert go, and even cried about it, but eventually went back to his cheery self, and invited the group over for tea now and then, as well as biscuits that none of them ever attempted to eat ever since Harry nearly chipped a tooth on one.

Now, into the evening, exams were finished, much to the relief of all students, and they only had about a week left of Hogwarts. This put four of the five kids on edge, and it was Winry who was trying to calm the lot down as they hung around the courtyard.

"Maybe he won't do anything, because he knows he can't. Like I said, the adults set up things to keep him from the…item…"

There were other students around them, so they had to keep their voices down.

"…so there's nothing for us to worry about or do," Winry concluded.

Edward frowned. "You know I don't completely trust adults, Win, cause of the old man. Hagrid let slip how to get past Fluffy to most likely the person that wants to. Nothing against Hagrid, but…"

Draco nodded. "He's got a point. We've only a week left. If he's going to make his move, it'll be before the end of the year. Even the teachers don't remain at Hogwarts for the entire year…he won't have a chance until next year."

"Not necessarily…" Edward muttered.

"What's that?" Draco blinked.

Edward glanced at him, then back at the sky. "There's something dark in the room, and it ain't what the teacher is. Put it simply, there's a curse on the room."

Jaws dropped.

"So _that's_ what you've been up to," Harry muttered as he absently rubbed at his forehead.

Edward nodded. "Do'n some research on it. I asked some older students about the history of the room and the position…was Fred or George, one of them, that said that the position is cursed."

"Ron's brothers?" Hermione blinked.

"They're a lot more pleasant than he is." Edward gave a nod.

Draco shrugged. He still wasn't keen on the Weasley family, but since he was slowly starting to open his mind, he wasn't against thinking of giving them another chance if they did something good. "So, did it help?"

Edward grinned. "I can break the curse with alchemy…it's tied to various places in the room; the cardinal directions. I think some complex spells would be needed to normally break it, but alchemy…well, it calls upon a different energy source, and will negate the source used for the curse. They'll cancel each other out, and it'll be removed."

Harry rolled his eyes. "But you're not going to do it, are you."

"Not until I know who the teacher is for next year. If a teacher can't keep a position for more than a year, according to the twins, I don't want Quirrell back next year, or a Death Eater."

Hermione interrupted by addressing Harry. "Are you alright? You've been rubbing at your head."

Harry cringed. "My scar hurts, that's all."

"Has it happened before?" Draco asked, again, his way of expressing concern.

Harry shook his head 'no'.

"Yea, it has…" Edward frowned as he remembered. "When Quirrell turned his back and you looked at him."

"But…You-Know-Who isn't around here, and neither is Quirrell…" Winry gazed around nervously.

"Perhaps it's a warning, or perhaps it means something else. We should go ask Dumbledore. So far, he's known about everything and kept things straight," Hermione stated.

The boys, and Winry, nodded in agreement, and the group headed down the corridors as the crowd of students thinned.

It was then that they nearly collided with McGonagall, who had been turning a corner with a handful of books.

"And where are you five off to? Exams are over, and the dorms are the other way…for all of you." Her eyes raked over the group. Yes, she had been startled to find a Slytherin and a Gryffindor getting along (let alone three Gryffindors and a Slytherin), but it was more of a pleasant surprise.

"We need to see Dumbledore," Hermione went with the truth, and the others nodded, though she didn't elaborate.

"I'm afraid that would be impossible. He just received an urgent owl from the Ministry, and left this afternoon," McGonagall stated plainly.

Instantly, the faces of the kids paled as they looked from one to the other in panic.

With Dumbledore gone…he was the greatest and absolute first line of defense of the Stone, not Fluffy, and they knew it.

Winry shook her head. "You have to call him back!"

"Win!" Edward hissed in warning.

It went unheeded. "Someone is going to try and steal the Philosopher's Stone!"

Draco looked like he wanted to smack his head against the wall, while Edward used his hand to smack his own forehead in exasperation. Harry had an expression that was somewhere between Edward's and Draco's, while Hermione just sighed.

McGonagall, however, dropped her books in shock.

The kids instantly scrambled to pick them up to avoid her surprised and piercing gaze, as well as the awkward moment.

"I don't know how you five found out about that, but I can assure you, that nobody is going to try and steal it. Nor will they succeed."

"But…!"

McGonagall took her books back. "Enough! I'll not hear a word further on it! All of you, head to your respective dormitories…"

Groans went up.

"…now!"

The kids muttered, but hurried away from the professor.

"Okay, _now_ what?" Draco frowned. He wasn't too eager to go in after Quirrell, and McGonagall hadn't believed them.

"We have to go after him. We can use the Cloak," Harry stated as if it were obvious. He hadn't expected much help from any adult to begin with.

Hermione, who didn't see any other option, nodded along with him.

Winry and Draco hesitated.

Edward knew that it would be difficult to fit five of them under the Cloak, and two of them obviously wasn't eager to follow an adult wizard into a dangerous situation with unknown dangers.

Then, he hit on it.

"Alright, here's what we do…" Edward glanced around to make sure nobody was eavesdropping, then back at the group. "We have to let _someone_ know…and nobody has any relations with a teacher, except…Draco, for whatever reason, Snape likes you."

Draco sighed. "He's my godfather, that's why."

Edward grinned slightly. "Good. He did help rescue Harry, so he can't be _all_ bad, even if he is a git most of the time. You go find him…tell him what's going on. I don't rightly trust adults too much, but in case we run into something we can't handle…well, I'd feel better with backup."

Harry and Hermione instantly agreed.

Draco looked relieved. "Alright. What about everyone else?"

"Win, you go find a way to send an owl to Dumbledore to let him know what's going on," Edward continued.

Winry smiled in slight relief, then frowned. "And you?"

Edward looked first to Harry, then to Hermione. When each nodded to him, he turned back to his other two friends with a wide grin. "We're going down the trapdoor, obviously."

Winry bit her lip, then sighed. "You're bloody masochistic…"

"And ya love me for it!" Edward tried to lighten the mood.

Harry chuckled, Draco smirked, and Hermione managed a small smile.

Winry nodded, then briefly hugged Edward and patted Harry on the shoulder, then shook Hermione's hand. "Be careful…all of you!"

"We will," the three said at the same time.

Winry and Draco glanced at each other, then nodded and split up to do their assigned task.

Harry smiled. "Great plan."

"Eh, they didn't wanna come…and Pinako would _kill_ me if anything happened to Win…" then, he mumbled under his breath, "…and I wouldn't be able to forgive me, either…"

"Alright. Let's get my Cloak, and head on over."

"What are we to do about music? We'll need to put Fluffy to sleep…" Hermione frowned as they nearly jogged up the stairs.

"I'll transmute a flute or something…mom showed Al and I when we were little, cause she plays. Granted, I don't know much, but I can play a few notes for a beginner's song. Hopefully, it'll do the trick," Edward stated grimly.

"And if not?" Hermione gulped.

"Well…I guess I transmute the walls or something and try to box the thing in. There's always another way." Edward's words seemed to echo in his own mind, and it nagged at him that it was the answer to _something_, only he couldn't figure it out at the moment.

He pushed those thoughts aside as they gave the password and hurried through the door to the common room.

Luckily, nobody else was there since they were hanging out after finishing exams, so there were no excuses given as the group quickly changed into muggle clothing so their school uniforms wouldn't be ruined if they encountered trouble, then ducked under the Invisibility Cloak and left the common room; destination: Third Floor Corridor.

* * *

"_Alohomora._"

There was a small 'click', and the familiar wooden door opened.

Hermione pocketed her wand again, and the three kids slipped into the room.

There was a harp that had probably been enchanted to play something, as it was slowing down, the last few notes playing quietly. Smack dab in the center of the room, right next to the trapdoor, was Fluffy, who was starting to stir a bit.

Harry pulled the Cloak off of them, since a dog would be able to smell them even if it couldn't see them, and attempted to stuff it into his pocket.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Leave it, Harry…we'll come back up here and get it when it's all over."

"And if Draco manages to find Snape and convince him? I don't think _he_ will be too willing to let me have it back once he discovers what it's for," Harry replied.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Put it in your sweatshirt pocket."

Harry blinked, then flushed and did as he was told. "We need to learn a shrinking charm."

"Not sure it'd work on an Invisibility Cloak…" Edward muttered as he pulled a small, wooden flute from his back pocket.

"Where did you get that, anyway?" Hermione inquired as the magical harp stopped playing.

"Transmuted it from a bedpost. Everyone ready? I'll go down last."

The two nodded as Fluffy began to start to lift its heads and sniff around.

Edward took a deep breath, then lifted the flute to his lips and began to play "Ode to Joy".

It wasn't perfect, and some notes were botched, but Fluffy seemed appeased, and lowered his heads to go back to sleep.

Harry and Hermione let out breaths of relief while Edward kept playing, and pulled the trapdoor open.

Without a single word, Harry slipped down into the slide of a trapdoor, with Hermione after him.

Edward didn't stop playing until he reached the trapdoor, where he jumped down as well. It grew dark around him very quickly, and he realized that Fluffy had probably slammed the door shut with one of its massive paws.

After a moment of freefalling, he landed on something soft and smelling of nature.

"What…?" Edward started.

"Don't move!" Hermione was obviously fighting to keep panic out of her voice. "It's Devil's Snare!"

"Devil's _what_?" Edward glanced over as his eyes adjusted, and was surprised to see that there were mass amounts of vines beneath them, and they were already snaking their way around him. Harry, he noticed had already had his legs captured by the things. His own arms were faring no better, which made him curse.

"How do we get untangled from it?" Harry asked, a hint of panic in his tone.

"I'm thinking! Um…Devil's Snare…it likes the dark and damp…" Hermione muttered to herself as even more vines started to wrap themselves around the trio, no matter how hard they tried to hold still.

"Sometime before it chokes us. No pressure, though…" Edward eyed the plant, annoyed that he couldn't transmute it since his hands were sort of tied behind his back. He also didn't know the chemical composition of this magical plant, which would make it difficult.

"It…right! It can't stand sunlight!" Hermione exclaimed. "But where are we going to get sunlight in here?"

"Don't you know a spell or something?" Harry tried to stay calm as the vines now worked their way up his chest.

"Oh…right!" Hermione, who was the only one with her arms free, pulled out her wand and pointed it at the ceiling, then mumbled the name of some spell that shot out bluebell flames.

The plant immediately recoiled, and dropped the three of them beneath it onto the cold, cement floor.

"Well, that was fun…" Edward muttered sarcastically.

"Could have been worse." Harry panted.

Hermione just sighed. "We should continue. I'm not too fond of having a life-threatening plant above me."

"Point. Let's go." Edward nodded.

* * *

The next room they came to, the door instantly closed behind them. It was a large room height wise, and there were what looked like tiny birds flapping around inside. There were three booms in one corner, and another door against the wall.

Harry tried to open the opposite door, only to find it locked.

Hermione attempted to open it via a spell, but again, nothing.

"Huh…" Edward frowned as he took a turn at the door. "Pretty secure."

Harry was squinting up at the 'birds'. "You don't suppose…those are _keys_ flying around, do you?"

Edward and Hermione looked up, then gaped.

"That's pretty cool…" Edward mused.

"Yes, but how do we get one? And how should we know if it fits the door?" Hermione frowned.

Harry indicated to the brooms. "I suppose we use these."

"There have to be dozens of keys up there…" Edward muttered as they each took and mounted a broom. "How the hell are we supposed to find the right one?"

"The lock looked like an old fashioned one, so probably an old key. If Quirrell got ahead of us, then he most likely used it, so there should be some sign of use," Hermione explained.

"Alright. Let's try and find it." Harry kicked off, followed by the other two.

However, that was easier said than done, for as soon as they would reach for a key, it would zip out of their way and fly off.

"How about if I transmute the room to a giant cage…?" Edward snarled as he made a grab for one key and missed.

"And then we'd be surrounded by a bunch of panicking keys…not such a bright idea, Edward," Hermione shut down _that_ plan.

Harry said nothing, as he had been considering the same thing as Edward.

"Reminds me of the Snitch during the Quidditch game," Harry stated as they regrouped in the air.

"The Snitch?" Hermione blinked. She hadn't seen the thing until the Seeker caught it.

Harry nodded. "Yea. I noticed it quite a few times. It would dive and flit out of the way, then disappear and reappear somewhere else."

"I'm impressed," Edward admitted. "I only caught sight of it twice."

Hermione stared at the two as if they were something she had never seen before. Then, she nearly smacked herself in the forehead. "Of course! These keys must have the same enchantment on them as the Snitch does! That's why we can't seem to catch them!"

"On the contrary…Harry has caught at least one," Edward stated.

"But it wasn't the right key." Harry sighed.

"Alright…how about this," Edward proposed. "We don't make any move to catch them until we see any that might look damaged."

The two agreed with that plan, and they slowly drifted around the room. The keys only darted out of their way if they came too close to it, which emphasized the enchantment that had been placed on them.

"Here!" Harry pointed to one key that had a torn wing. "It's the only one that's different, and its wing is damaged!"

"Alright!" Edward cheered. "You've got this one, Harry! Maybe you should try out for Seeker on the team next year."

Harry chuckled, then started to go after the key. Like the others, it tired to dodge and duck out of the way, but Harry was persistent, and never lost sight of it. Finally, he stretched out, and his hand clasped around the key as he tumbled from his broom due to the precarious position.

Luckily, he was only inches off the ground when he'd caught it, so he wasn't hurt on the landing.

Hermione and Edward landed and dismounted their brooms, then went over to see if he was alright.

Harry held up the key with a triumphant expression.

"Brilliant." Edward offered his cousin a hand up.

* * *

The next room illuminated as soon as they stepped in, and again, the door closed behind them.

What they say made them pause. At first, they thought it was a giant graveyard, as there were pieces of something off to the sides, and large humanoid figures on a black and white checkered space.

But then, the three realized it for what it was.

"It's a giant chess board!" Hermione exclaimed.

The two boys shrugged, and they started to walk across the room…only to be stopped when a couple of white pawns drew their swords and blocked their path.

Harry gulped. "You don't suppose…?"

Edward nodded, grim faced. "Yea. We hafta play our way across."

Hermione didn't look very thrilled about that. "I'll have you two know…I'm not the best chess player."

"Nor I." Harry looked to Edward.

Edward groaned. "I wish Al was here…he's better than me. You know that, Harry."

"Yea, but of the three of us, you're the best, since Hermione says she has just about no skill in it," Harry stated.

Edward sighed and looked up at the piece in front of him. "Don't suppose you'd let a couple of kids pass without a game?"

The piece shook its head 'no'.

Edward hung his head, then took a deep breath and let it out. "Alright…let's see…"

Harry and Hermione waited for instructions.

Edward surveyed the board and thought of where he could put his friends where they would be less likely to get injured. "Kay. Harry, you take the place of the king."

Even in wizarding chess, the king never was demolished when it went down, so it was the safest position on the board.

Edward tapped his foot as he tried to think of where to put Hermione. Then, he recalled a favorite move of Alphonse's, which he had started to use…it could keep both of his friends safe, at least, and perhaps give a tactical advantage. "Hermione, you take the king's side castle."

Hermione nodded, then looked at her friend. "What about you?"

Edward glanced at the board again. What piece was less likely to be sacrificed? The castles and the king were the safest pieces on the board, typically…then, he saw the spot next to Harry and realized it. "I'll take the queen's spot."

Despite the situation, Harry grinned.

Edward scowled at him as the queen piece moved off the board to allow Edward onto the spot. "Not a single _word_, Harry."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Harry was obviously fighting snickers.

Edward rolled his eyes.

Hermione, who had never really played much chess before, looked at the boys. "So, what happens, now?"

"White always moves first, so they get the opening move. Then…well, pray to whatever divine being you believe in that we come out of this alive."

"Really encouraging, Ed," Harry stated, his face pale.

Hermione gulped.

"Hey, I never said I was a chess genius! Al's better than me!"

Harry blinked. Being next to Edward, even in the low light, he could see the look of fear on his cousin's face; something he wasn't used to seeing. _He's worried about us…worried about the game. He's not completely confident in it, particularly with our lives on the line._

So, Harry said to his cousin, "We trust you, Ed. You'll navigate us through this, I know it."

Edward gulped and took a shaky breath. When he opened his eyes, both Hermione and Harry nodded at him. They, too, were scared…Edward could tell. Which meant that he couldn't lose his cool, now. Hadn't he faced the Gate? Hadn't he stared Truth right in the face?

Surely, he could get his friends safely across the board to a checkmate.

Yes, he had considered transmuting a bridge over the board or something, but these pieces were sentient…he didn't know the extent of their intelligence, and he refused to harm anything with a brain. Plus, most of the pieces had weapons, and could have easily swung at them as they crossed over the bridge.

"We're ready!" Edward finally called to the white pieces.

There was a pause, then a white pawn slid two paces forward.

Edward took a deep breath and let it out, then started to direct his own pieces.

At first, there wasn't much conflict…pieces were being moved from each side to get closer to the other, or the middle of the board.

Harry and Hermione, however, noticed a pattern, and on one of Edward's turns, the one after directing the knight between them after moving the bishop, he didn't move any pieces forward. Rather, he announced that he was going to "castle".

"Harry, you move two squares to your left…Hermione, you move two squares to your right," Edward instructed them.

The confused kids did so, which now resulted in Harry being protected in a corner. Edward would have to keep an eye on Hermione's position, but for now, his friends were the safest on the board. He, himself, hadn't made a move out from his position yet, but knew it was only a matter of time.

When the first battle occurred, it startled the kids, who realized that this was going to be like wizard chess…the pieces beating each other up and smashing one another to bits.

Edward would often worry his lip, and think a moment before he would command a piece forward. After a couple shards had blown past him, and even Hermione and Harry hadn't been safe from flying debris, he had to move out, himself, to add to his seat-of-the-pants strategy.

Edward had been forced to have Hermione take a few steps out to her right in order to start to force some of the white pieces to reevaluate their moves, but so far, all three had remained in one piece, save some cuts and scrapes from shrapnel.

Harry and Hermione were just as tense as Edward, who was trying to keep everyone alive. If there was one problem Edward had, it was that he didn't like sacrificing pieces.

In fact, he was torn about sacrificing a pawn near Harry when a bishop tried to get near him. However, it had to be done to protect the king.

The game nearly ended early when a giant piece of shrapnel from the pawn that he had been near nearly took off his head. He managed to dodge at the last second by hitting the ground, and the piece went flying of the board and smashed into a million other pieces as it hit the wall.

When Edward looked up, he grinned at what he saw. "Alright…we can use this…" With Hermione in her position, it could work…

It was a gamble, but he didn't see any other piece that could interrupt his plan. He directed a pawn to a spot that actually put the king in check.

As he had hoped, the king took the pawn, since it had little other choice.

Edward checked his position again, hardly believing that his impromptu move to kick a castle off the board had actually done some good. Then, there was the bishop on the other side…

"Hermione, move one square to your right!" Edward's heart was racing. He hoped it really was…it looked like it, but…

Hermione did as instructed, and found herself facing, from across the board, the white king.

There was a moment of silence from white's side. Unlike black, white had been moving almost immediately after Edward directed one of his soldiers to move. When the silence stretched over a couple minutes, which was way too long to be normal for the white side, Edward dared to say those wonderful words.

"Checkmate!" Edward declared.

The sword the white king was holding came loose, and dropped to the ground in a gesture of surrender.

Harry and Hermione, after a nod from Edward, rushed forward and completed a group hug of relief.

"You did it! Knew you could!" Harry congratulated a slightly shaken Edward.

"Luck! Luck!" Edward could be arrogant at times, but he knew that he had been extremely lucky this time.

"Whatever it was, you did it!" Hermione pulled back with a smile.

"You alright?" Edward asked his friends, since he saw the cuts and scrapes they bore.

"You look a lot worse, being closer to the action, you know," Harry stated with a smile of relief.

"Anyway, let's continue before the pieces decide they want to play again," Hermione suggested.

_That_ spurred them into action.

"Good idea…I really don't fancy having to go through _that_ again. Thank goodness whatever brain is controlling the white pieces isn't as good as Al!" Edward exclaimed as they raced through the door on the other side.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	31. Final Confrontation

Witty disclaimer goes here.

The logic puzzle of the potions was something I actually worked through, and when I tried it, I came up with two possible solutions given all the clues and what Hermione tells us is the smallest bottle. Since we're not given the size of the potions in the puzzle, it's impossible to determine exactly what was in every bottle since there are two that could be one or another.

The reason why Quirrell wasn't being burned when he grabbed Harry the first couple of times was due to the fact that he had hold of Harry's sleeve or shirt; there was always something between his own hand and Harry's skin.

Thank you to Raidentensho for pointing out that I had mixed up Edward and Harry at the end; it has been fixed. ^^

Oh, and Happy New Year, everyone!

* * *

Chapter 31: Final Confrontation

The next room had nearly caused them to stop short, but then all three let out breaths of relief. At least, this was one room that they wouldn't have to worry about, as the troll that had been guarding the room was knocked out and slumped against the wall.

The three hurried past it, lest it woke up.

For insurance purposes, however, Edward transmuted the ground and wall to form bindings on the troll that would keep it in place should it wake up.

This time, instead of a door closing when they crossed to the next room, flames sprung up behind them and in front of the final door.

"Where's Win when ya need her?" Edward muttered and wiped his forehead of blood, sweat, and grime.

"Owling Dumbledore," Harry stated, but it was more of just to try and lift the mood.

"Alright…" Hermione was going through a checklist of what they had encountered to see how many challenges could be left. "First was Fluffy, which was Hagrid's…then, Devil's Snare, which had to be Professor Sprout's, since she's in charge of Herbology. Then was the keys…"

It took her a moment, but she finally snapped her fingers. "A charm! They were charmed…that was Professor Flitwick's measure. The chessboard…"

"McGonagall," Edward was the one to say it. "She encourages it when Ron and Seamus play chess against each other in the common room, and I heard that transfiguration is what makes the pieces move, and restores them after a game."

"Alright. That's all of the Head of Houses, except…"

"Snape." Harry stared at the table in front of them, which contained seven vials, some the same size and others different sized. On the table in front of them was a rolled up piece of parchment.

"Of course…no chance Quirrell accidentally got poisoned…" Edward muttered as Hermione took the scroll, which were presumably instructions.

"What's it say?" Harry looked over one shoulder, while Edward stepped up to her other.

Hermione cleared her throat, then read it aloud:

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind, __  
__Two of us will help you, whichever you would find, __  
__One among us seven will let you move ahead, __  
__Another will transport the drinker back instead, __  
__Two among our number hold only nettle wine, __  
__Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line. __  
__Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore, __  
__To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four: __  
__First, however slyly the poison tries to hide __  
__You will always find some on nettle wine's left side; __  
__Second, different are those who stand at either end, __  
__But if you would move onward, neither is your friend; __  
__Third, as you see clearly, all are different size, __  
__Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides; __  
__Fourth, the second left and the second on the right __  
__Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then, Hermione and Edward grinned.

"It's a logic puzzle!" Hermione exclaimed.

Edward looked at the clues again and pulled out a piece of chalk from his pocket. "Yep. Now, let's get started, then."

Harry, who was out of his element, just watched in awe as the two worked together on it.

"Alright…three are poison, two are wine, and two are the ones we need…" Hermione mumbled.

"Not like any of us plan on going back…I'll try to get the flames down with alchemy or something. Gotta be another way around them. But who knows if it'll work…" Edward mused."

"You could end up barbequing yourself alive. These are enchanted flames!" Hermione pointed out.

Edward frowned, then sighed. He'd save the argument for when they figured out the bottles. "Alright, first clue!"

Hermione read it off, then looked up. "That means…"

Edward completed the sentence and drew a letter "P", then put an "X" through it in front of the far right bottle. "…this can't be poison."

"Also means the far left can't be wine," Hermione added.

Edward drew a "W", then put an "X" through it on the far left. "Alright. Next clue was…"

"That the ones on the end won't get us forward," Hermione easily interpreted the very simple clue.

Edward marked each with an "F", then again, drew a line through it.

Harry smiled. _Process of elimination…finding out which is which by first finding what's not in them…_

"The smallest bottle is the fourth…that's not poison," Hermione told Edward after a moment.

"Then something about a giant, too? That'd be the last one." Edward crossed out those for poisons, then grinned and drew the letter "B" under the far right bottle. "We've got one solved, which means the others can't bring us back."

Hermione nodded, then looked at the final clue. "The contents of the second to the left and right are the same…"

"Well, if the seventh can't be wine, then the sixth can't be poison…it can't get us forward, and back was eliminated, so that means it's wine." Edward marked it.

"Then so is the second potion," Hermione added.

Edward marked that, as well. "Then…to the left would be poison." He marked potion number one as poison, and potion number five.

"Since four is the smallest, it can't contain the remaining poison…" Hermione started.

"…so number three has the poison, and number four will take someone forward through the flames!" Edward stated triumphantly as he finished marking the table.

Harry shook his head. "I'm right impressed. Barely was able to follow the two of you, but that was brilliant."

Edward, however, frowned at the bottle that would lead them forward. "It's so tiny…Quirrell must have gotten across the flames with magic. No way he took a sip from this."

Harry walked over to understand why his cousin said that.

Hermione, however, vocalized it. "There's hardly enough for one swallow in there."

"Which means, it'd be possible to get past the flames." Edward smirked.

"Don't you dare! I'll not hear that you managed to roast yourself alive! We should wait for backup!" Hermione scolded him.

Edward scowled and handed off the smallest bottle to Harry. "So, you'd rather he face Voldemort on his own?"

"He's the only one that can."

"If Snape is the one to find us, we're gonna be in big trouble. I'd rather not be sitting around waiting for that."

"Saying Draco was able to find him!"

Harry held up his free hand. "Woa! Wait just a moment…what's this about me facing him?"

Hermione grew quiet.

Edward looked away, then sighed and looked back up. "You have a connection to him, we all know that. If anyone can come away alive after a confrontation with Voldemort, it's you."

"But…"

"Here." Edward pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Harry.

Harry blinked when he recognized the design. "A simple matrix?"

"You didn't bring anything to draw with, right?"

Harry smiled guiltily. "I forgot in the excitement."

Edward smacked his forehead. "Ya know…_try_ to remember that you can't make alchemy happen by clapping your hands! Anyway, use that if you need a matrix. It should be enough so you can create a shield, or send a chunk of the floor into Quirrell's ugly face. Or, just use the Imperturbable Charm. You still haven't figured it out, and it still spits flames."

Harry snickered. "Or that one you taught me from the train."

Hermione smiled slightly, as she had heard what the boys did to a bully from Slytherin on the train.

"Yep! A full grown wizard might be able to protect himself from those spells, but alchemy? I doubt it." Edward then clapped Harry on the shoulder as his smile became strained. "You don't die, ya hear? What would I tell mom?"

Harry chuckled and shook Edward's hand. "I have no plans of dying just yet."

Hermione, just about in tears, threw her arms around Harry.

Edward let go and blinked, and Harry was just as stunned.

Hermione drew apart and bit her lip. "Be careful, Harry. Edward's right…he _is_ a full grown wizard. Both of them are."

"I will." Harry's face took on an expression of determination.

"We'll be trying to get through!" Edward announced as Harry gripped the potion bottle.

"You're not alone," Hermione added.

Harry gave them a nod, then downed the potion in a single gulp. He shuddered, and muttered something about feeling like he swallowed ice. Then, with one final look back at his friends, he boldly plunged through the fire, which didn't even harm him a single iota.

* * *

The room he came to was the largest, with a giant mirror with a metal frame that had some sort of odd language embossed on it in the middle of the room, down a set of steps.

The rest of the room was bare, free of any sort of traps, though if they had existed, they would have been disabled by the full grown wizard that stood in front of the mirror with his hands clenched into fists.

Harry cringed and rubbed his scar as it burned. This was definitely the real deal. He couldn't even hear what Edward and Hermione were up to back through the flames. Rather, his attention was focused completely on the figure in front of him.

Belatedly, Harry realized that he probably could have used his Invisibility Cloak, but it was too late to use it, now, as the "professor" turned around with an ugly scowl on his face.

Harry, who had his wand in his hand, raised it and started his spell. "_Locomotor…!_"

"_Expelliarmus!_"

Harry's wand went flying from his hand and into the clutches of Quirrell, who had his own wand raised and a triumphant smirk on his face.

"Trying something, Potter?" Quirrell sneered and dropped Harry's wand.

Harry dropped to the ground and pulled out the folded piece of paper, which subsequently allowed him to dodge some sort of spell that was meant to tie him up.

Quirrell didn't have time to react before Harry activated the alchemy matrix, and a wall formed from the ground to encase the teacher in it on all sides.

Harry heard the exclamation of surprise, but then it went silent, so he looked up, breathing hard from adrenaline.

For one, wild moment, Harry wondered if he had actually managed to contain the man. However, just as he stood up to retrieve his wand, there was an explosion from the wall with a shout that sounded something like "Reducto", and the wall exploded outward.

Harry cringed and held up his arms to cover his face, though his cheek wound up with a nice slice in it from the fragments of rock, and his arms would probably be bruised as some fragments even cut along his arms, right through the sleeves, as they went flying past.

Harry was knocked off his feet, and tumbled back a few paces until his head cracked against the bottom of the stairs. Stars danced in front of his eyes, and it took him a moment to realize that the paper with the matrix on it had been cut to shreds in the attack.

"Good…stay like that for a moment. I'll deal with you soon enough, Potter," the voice of Quirrell echoed from somewhere in the room as Harry struggled to make the walls stop spinning and doubling.

There was more mutterings from Quirrell as the man turned back to the mirror, and by the time Harry was finally able to sit up, he realized that the wizard was talking either to himself or the parasite of Voldemort that was somewhere within him.

"I see what I desire…the Philosopher's Stone. But how do I _get it_?" Quirrell snarled in frustration.

Harry wondered if Quirrell had gone barmy, and didn't even bother to note that the man no longer stuttered. He and Edward had decided long ago that it was just a cover up or an act. After Draco learned of the man's true nature, he agreed. Winry hadn't been too sure, but Hermione also thought that Quirrell was putting on quite a show.

A strange hiss-like voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, rebounded along the walls and interrupted Harry's thoughts.

"Use the boy."

Quirrell spun around instantly and beckoned with his hand. "Potter! Get over here!"

Harry pushed himself to his feet and stumbled, but with the wand trained on him and the matrix destroyed, had no other choice but to obey. Somehow, he managed to get near the mirror, where Quirrell grabbed him by the cloth of his shirt and pulled him in front of the mirror.

Harry raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Well! Tell me what you see!" Quirrell demanded.

Harry blinked and looked back at the mirror. "Am I supposed to see something besides myself? It's a mirror, isn't it?"

"Daft boy! It shows what you desire!" Quirrell snarled. "Now, look into the mirror and _tell me what you see_!"

Harry gulped, and looked into the mirror. _Quirrell and Voldemort, or whichever is in control, wants the Stone. Ed already got what he needed from it. I can't stay here and stare at a mirror…I have to find the Stone to get it to Dumbledore and away from Voldemort!_

A jolt went through him as he saw himself grin and pull the Philosopher's Stone out of his pocket, wink at his reflection, then put the Stone back in. At the same time, he felt a sudden weight in that exact pocket, and just knew that the Stone had somehow found its way into his pocket.

Quirrell, again, interrupted. "Well! What do you see!"

Harry thought fast. He couldn't very well say that the stone was in his pocket. So, without looking at Quirrell, which would give away his lie…_why couldn't it be Ed? He's a much more accomplished liar!_…, he continued to stare at the mirror in awe, and said:

"I see myself with my friends, fishing, and I've just caught the biggest one."

Quirrell snarled and shoved Harry out of the way. "Useless boy!"

Harry backed up a couple of steps, and started to slowly kneel down to retrieve his wand, when the mystery voice spoke again.

"He lies!"

Quirrell snarled and turned to Harry. "Potter…!"

However, again, the hissing voice interrupted. "Let me speak to him."

Quirrell suddenly looked nervous. "M-master…you aren't strong enough…"

"I have enough strength for this."

Harry gulped as Quirrell started to undo his turban. His hand was inches from his wand, but he found that he couldn't grab it for some reason. Perhaps it was because his scar was sending jolts of pain through his skull, combined with where he smacked his head on the stair.

Finally, the turban came off, and Quirrell turned around…

Harry fell onto his bum at what he saw, then quickly scrambled to his feet.

It was a face…a face without a body of its own. It had red eyes, and slits for nostrils, and made his scar burn something fierce.

"Voldemort," Harry found himself saying.

"Yes. You see what has become of me? Having to live off another in order to survive. At least, until now. Now, there's something that can allow me to regain a body of my own. Something…that conveniently lies within your pocket!"

Harry didn't know how Voldemort knew, but he realized that he had to get out of there. He quickly scrambled for the stairs, and prayed that Edward had somehow found a way to put the flames out.

However, something grabbed his arm, which caused him to struggle.

Quirrell held on tightly, but it was Voldemort that spoke.

"Give me the Stone, Potter. It's for the best. You know, the truth is that there's no good or evil in this world. Only power. Power which I shall once again attain! If you give me the Stone, I might even spare you and let you join me!"

"No! Never!" Harry remembered what Izumi had taught him, and twisted his arm in Quirrell's grasp as he stomped on the man's foot, then pulled his arm free of the grip. Afterwards, he spun and threw a kick into Quirrell's side, which caused the man to stumble.

Harry, breathing hard, tried to flee again, but there was a shout, and he suddenly found that he tripped over his own feet. It wasn't the Leg-Locker, but it was something else that made it impossible or him to run. His breath left him as he hit the floor right before the stairs. Something grabbed his leg and started to drag him back to the mirror.

Harry kicked out, but it was no use; the hand held hard, if it was even a hand. Harry suspected it was some sort of rope, by the feel of it.

Quirrell smirked as he flipped the boy over, then reached towards the child's pocket.

Harry, in desperation, threw a quick jab into the man's face.

There were dual screams, and Harry trembled since he had actually _felt_ the discharge of magical energy. If he hadn't been able to do alchemy, he probably wouldn't have noticed, but he had _felt_ something come off of his bare hand when it connected with Quirrell's uncovered face.

Quirrell stumbled back, a hand to his nose, and not because it was bleeding, but because there were now horrible blisters all over his nose and other parts where Harry's fist had hit. "What kind of magic is this?"

"I don't care! Kill him! Kill him and get the stone!" Voldemort shouted in anger, and what was probably pain.

Harry stared at his hands, and realized that he was free of the spell that had held him. Spells from his own wand hadn't worked, and though Quirrell dropped his wand when Harry had punched him, he didn't rightly know where his own wand was anymore. Alchemy didn't work, either, which only left this one option. Whatever it was about his skin, for some reason, it hurt Voldemort.

So, when Quirrell came back with his hand extended, Harry gripped onto the man's fingers in what would normally be a joint lock hold, except this time, steam came off of it as Quirrell's flesh was literally burning under Harry's grip.

Again, twin screams sounded, and Harry felt something within him drain even further.

_This can't continue_, Harry thought. It was a great weapon, but not if it was draining his own life force. _There has to be something I can do…!_

That's when his eyes fell on the metal lining of the mirror, and he recalled the matrix he had seen Edward study multiple times while trying to figure out a safe way to fix a soul to another body. He looked at the back of his hand, which had a still bleeding slice across it from a piece of shrapnel, then at Quirrell, who looked about ready to keel over.

Harry moved quickly, and pulled off his shoes and socks, so that when Quirrell advanced on him next, Harry just thrust his bare foot upwards, which caught Quirrell in the neck.

One full scream and one choked scream erupted as Harry curled his toes around Quirrell's collar in order to hold on. It was close…Harry could feel it. Quirrell was just about ready to fall apart or burn to death, which would unleash Voldemort…

Harry swiped his thumb across his bleeding gash, then made a circle on the, thankfully thick enough, metal frame of the mirror. _The spots where my blood hit him are even more burned. Then, my blood has something to do with it! In that case…_

His consciousness was slipping, and he could no longer hear Quirrell screaming; only Voldemort.

It was now or never.

Harry made the finishing touches to the matrix, then placed his hands over it and felt the alchemic power run through him.

There was a flash of light, a scream, and something shifting in the composition of the mirror…and then, his world went black.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	32. End of the Year

It's the final chapter, and I still own nothing!

A big thank you to everyone that's been following the story, even my phantom readers (you know who you are…those of you reading that aren't reviewing. ;p ). An extra thank you to those that took the time to review, and those that helped point out errors that I had missed.

Another thank you to anyone that followed this story from start to finish, even when it became completed (those that started to read it when all chapters were uploaded, or those that might find the story long after it's been completed).

For those guessing who the unnamed Slytherin is at the feast…yes, it's probably who you think it is. ^^

So, without further ado, let's get to the last chapter!

* * *

Chapter 32: End of the Year

Harry awoke to voices off to one side; voices that he very easily recognized.

"…can't see him for just a minute? Come _on_…!"

That was definitely Edward.

"Please, Madam Pomfrey? We'll be good!"

Hermione.

"It's not like we're asking to stay overnight…"

Draco.

"Pretty please with sugar on top?"

Winry.

Harry opened his eyes, and the blurry world came into focus. Though his vision was horrible, he still realized that he was in what must be the Hospital Wing, since there were rows of beds, and he was in one of them. He couldn't really tell, but there appeared to be a pile of gifts or something at the end of his bed, as well.

Before anyone could turn to see him, or argue with the Mediwitch of Hogwarts further, the doors opened and Dumbledore strode in.

"Now…what's all the commotion, up here? I can hear voices down the corridors."

Madam Pomfrey huffed and put her hands on her hips. "These children…!"

"We just want to visit Harry, sir!" Edward cut the woman off.

Harry couldn't contain a chuckle when he heard the Mediwitch make an indignant noise at being interrupted.

At that, all previous conversation was over with, and the group ran over.

Though, they didn't overcrowd him, thankfully.

Edward picked something off the nightstand, and handed it to Harry.

Harry recognized his glasses and gratefully put them on his nose. He noticed that his left hand was bandaged, and could see a poultice on Edward's cheek and side of his forehead.

Hermione was free of any, as she had been exposed to the least amount of carnage; Edward had to deal with the most shrapnel from the chess game, and Harry had to go through being pelted by what used to be a stone prison.

"Alright there, Harry?" Draco asked, quite bluntly considering his character.

Harry blinked a couple of times, then slowly sat up. "Yea. I don't feel too bad, actually. How about everyone else? Ed? Hermione?"

Edward gave him a thumbs-up with a big grin. "Saw what you did to Voldemort…I just had taken down the flames."

Hermione shook her head. "I _still_ don't understand what happened…"

"Nor I," Harry admitted. "Last thing I recall is using the Soul matrix…"

"Yep!" Edward grinned and flopped down on a chair, while the others positioned themselves on the floor (except for Hermione, who managed to find another chair).

Dumbledore stood in the back with a smile, and Pomfrey had finally given up and stalked off.

"His soul was about to leave the body, and your blood is connected to him cause of the scar and the Old Magic…so, when ya drew that matrix and activated it, it sucked the part of him trying to escape into the mirror."

"And Quirrell?" Harry was almost afraid to ask.

"Transferred to St. Mungo's, though he'll never be the same. He's got third degree burns all over him, and his face is horribly deformed…that, and his sanity's spent. He'll probably be in the mental ward all his life." Edward shrugged.

"What about you two?" Harry glanced from Draco to Winry.

Draco fidgeted. "Well…Professor Snape said that if it wasn't near the end of the year, we'd all have a month's worth of detention…as it is, he wanted to assign us some, but Professor Dumbledore managed to get us out of it."

Winry looked slightly flushed at the reminder of how close she had been to punishment, as well as how they were saved. "I sent the family owl, with the letter addressed to Professor Dumbledore. Seems as if the owl that called him there was a phony…it was Quirrell's work. Gran says the Ministry is always asking for his advice, so it wasn't a suspicious letter. He arrived back shortly after Professor Snape, Edward, and Hermione carried you out of the trapdoor."

"We met up with him halfway back," Edward picked up the explanation. "Snape, I mean. Man, if looks could kill…"

Hermione shuddered along with the Elric boy.

"…luckily, we didn't have to play another game of chess. Only works one way, and Snape was so pissed that he demolished half the set with his wand."

Hermione gulped. "I'd never seen _anyone _so angry, before."

"Wonder why…it's not like he _likes_ any of us…" Edward muttered.

Harry had to agree. "Bet he would have celebrated if I'd died…"

This time, Dumbledore did speak up. "Actually, that's not quite true, Harry."

Harry sighed and looked up. "I know he was part of the rescue from the Dursley's, and I appreciate it, but…"

Dumbledore shook his head, and took a seat on the end of the bed. "Professor Snape actually has a wizarding debt to you, Harry. You see, when one wizard saves another's life, a bond is created…a debt. And in their sixth year, your father did something that Professor Snape could never forgive; he saved his life."

Jaws dropped.

Draco made a mental note to get the story from his godfather, while Edward and Harry were going to make sure they heard this from Remus…if the man knew.

Dumbledore nodded at the incredulous looks. "Since he couldn't repay James Potter, the debt extended to you, the son of the man who saved his life."

Harry leaned back against the board and pillows. "And I'm guessing that the reason it hurt them to touch me was because of the Old Magic? I could feel something happening when we touched, flesh to flesh."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he gave a nod. "Indeed, Harry. I'm surprised you noticed and felt it. I'm sure you've heard the story."

"Yes, sir."

"Do you have any other questions?" Dumbledore asked.

"Plenty." Harry almost grinned. "First…what happened to the mirror with his soul in it?"

"It was very carefully destroyed; the piece of his soul is no longer in existence."

Edward, and the others, let out a collective sigh of relief.

Harry indicated to the piles of goodies at the end of his bed. "Alright. What's all that?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "What happened between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret. So, naturally, the whole school knows. These would be gifts from your admirers. If I understand correctly, Mister Elric and Miss Granger got their fair share of some."

Both kids flushed and nodded. Hermione, especially, wasn't used to receiving that much fanfare…in fact, neither was Edward. So, after they went through them all to make sure they were safe and non-cursed, they split them with Draco and Winry since they had been visiting Harry the past three days he was in the Hospital Wing and saw he had his own collection.

"What happened to the Stone?" Harry was very aware of the fact that he was in Hospital Wing pajamas, which meant the Stone that had been in his pocket was…who knew where.

"Ah…I spoke with Nicolas, and we've agreed that the Stone should be destroyed."

Edward tried to keep a straight face. _Oh, well…I sorta knew that was going to happen. No way I'd be allowed to use it more than once, and I still don't know what went in it, only that it was much more "humane" than Red Water. Though, I think I might have a solution to the soul splitting, but I'll need to really talk about Harry about it. That's something for the summer, I suppose. Mom should know, too._

There was still one thing that none of the kids understood, and one silent conference later, Harry was the one who asked it.

"Why did Voldemort try to kill me? As a baby, and now…why _me_?"

This time, Dumbledore sighed and looked down. "Alas, I'm afraid I cannot answer that question right now, Harry."

"Why?" Draco, who was the least respectful of the group, demanded. "Some madman, the most evil wizard ever, tries to kill him…you seem to know, but you won't say anything…?"

"Draco…" Edward warned.

Dumbledore held up his hand to forestall any arguments. "Mister Malfoy does have a valid point, Edward. However, it's not for me to say at this time. The reason is something that you, Harry, should not be burdened with until you're older."

Harry looked contemplative, while the others were silent. Finally, the boy nodded. "I understand."

Dumbledore chuckled and stood up. "And, before you go and ask him…no, Remus does not know what the reason is."

Harry made a face, and Edward cursed under his breath.

The two had obviously wanted to ask that very question to their Uncle Moony. Though, now, Edward had a contemplative look on his face that had nothing to do with the conversation.

Dumbledore smiled. "Well, you should be released from the Hospital Wing soon, Harry. Just in time for the end of the year feast, I dare say. Now…I have some business to attend do, so I must take my leave."

Just before he reached the doors, Edward jumped up from his chair and ran over.

"Sir!"

Dumbledore paused and looked down at the boy. "Yes?"

Edward took a deep breath, then let it out. "Remember that curse I broke the other day on the Defense room?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "I do, indeed. It was very fortunate that you could feel it out and manage to negate it with alchemy. The spells that would have been needed…"

Edward interrupted with only a little hesitation. "Remember…how you said…that if I needed anything, that I just had to ask you?"

Dumbledore was curious as to where this was going, and gave the boy a nod.

Edward took a deep breath, then let it out and looked up. "I have a request, then. Not for me, but for someone I really care about. Someone that can use a steady job and money. I was wondering…"

After he heard the request, Dumbledore smiled, and his eyes twinkled even brighter as he looked back at the boy. "To be honest, I was considering the same thing. I believe there shall be no trouble with it."

Edward grinned, then thought of something. "Oh…I'm sure Harry would agree…I'd have to ask him, but he'd probably be willing to call in that wizarding debt for Snape to keep his mouth shut around him. I know they didn't get along, and I don't want old school grudges to ruin this chance for him."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes…I can see your point. Tell Harry to come see me about it, because if he does call it in, then it will be set in stone."

Edward grinned from ear to ear. "Thanks so much, sir!"

Dumbledore smiled. "Now, I'm sure your friends are wondering what all this secret talk is about…"

Edward thanked him again, then ran back to the curious group.

"What was that about?" Harry asked.

Edward beamed. "Oh, man…I'm gonna have trouble not saying anything to him this summer, but…Harry, you've gotta see Dumbledore when you get out of the Hospital Wing to call in that debt."

"Are you planning on explaining, or leaving us in the dark?" Winry scowled at the boy.

Edward's grin, if possible, increased.

* * *

The end of the year feast was much like the welcome feast, only this time, instead of each house's banner being displayed over the tables, there was only a banner of yellow and black, with the picture of a badger; Hufflepuff apparently had the most points at the end of the year, and had won the House Cup.

Dumbledore was at the front of the room, congratulating the students on "another completed year of Hogwarts". "As you all know, the House Cup needs to be awarded. As such, the points stand as this: Hufflepuff, with 522 points…"

The house of the badger cheered and clapped the loudest, while all other houses just gave a respectful clap.

"…Ravenclaw, with 510 points…"

Winry clapped with her house, though the cousins saw that she was as far away from Russell as possible, since the Ravenclaw table was the closest to the Slytherin table.

"…Slytherin, with 480 points…"

Slytherin house applauded themselves, and a couple other houses clapped, as well (nobody gave Harry, Hermione, or Edward strange looks for showing their support at this point).

"…and Gryffindor, with 450 points."

The clapping from Gryffindor could have very well have been like the funeral march that the Weasley twins had sang the Hogwarts anthem to at the beginning of the year.

"Well done to all, except, there have been a few events of the past few days to take into account, and I have some last minute points to award." Perhaps it was a little sneaky to award points at the very last minute, but if not, people would wonder why the points were suddenly filled in the standings area.

The Hufflepuffs looked a little uneasy, while other houses, and a couple professors, glanced up to see what Dumbledore was up to.

"First, to Miss Winry Rockbell…"

At the Ravenclaw table, Winry's eyes went wide at receiving points in front of the _entire school_.

"…for alerting me of a grave situation that was about to unfold…I award Ravenclaw house…fifty points."

Ravenclaw erupted into cheers, and Edward nudged Harry and pointed over to Russell, who looked like he had been petrified as the kids sitting around Winry ruffled her hair and cheered her on.

Dumbledore held up his hand, and they quieted down. Their victory over Hufflepuff house was short lived, and that was obvious. The house had already known that Gryffindor would be receiving points due to what they heard, but it had been fun to be in the lead for a brief moment.

"Next, to Mister Draco Malfoy…"

Over at the Slytherin table, Draco looked positively shocked. The other Slytherins, who usually avoided him, glanced over in surprise as well.

"…for having the wit about him to inform a trusted member of the staff about the situation about to occur, I award Slytherin house…fifty points."

At first, there was stunned silence from the Slytherin house. Harry, Edward, Hermione, and Winry were all clapping, however, which spurred some other houses into motion.

Then, a third year Slytherin with black hair and navy blue, almost onyx, eyes began to applaud, which spurred on a couple others from the higher Slytherin years, which eventually worked its way down until almost all of the first years were clapping, though they were obviously in shock.

Dumbledore again held up his hand for silence. "Then, to Miss Hermione Granger…"

Hermione looked about on the verge of panic as all eyes turned to her, but the cousins just smiled at her encouragingly.

"…for the use of intellect and cool nerve while in the face of danger, I award Gryffindor house…fifty points."

"Alright, Hermione!" Harry and Edward cheered, while the girl looked very overwhelmed and blushed amongst the cheers from other members of her house.

Ron looked gobsmacked, but clapped, anyway. The group had heard that he was a bit jealous to have been left out of the adventure that the trio supposedly had.

"And next, to Mister Edward Elric…"

Edward felt his face heat up.

"…for taking charge of a dangerous situation, and keeping his cool despite being on the spot to keep his companions alive, I award Gryffindor house…fifty points."

The cheers from the Gryffindor house reached almost to the enchanted ceiling, as it meant that they were now in second place. Edward's own face was red this time, and he rubbed his nose bashfully as Harry patted him on the shoulder and others offered their congratulations.

Probably the most shocking was when Ron leaned over and offered to play him in a game of chess sometime.

Edward had been too stunned to do more than just nod. _Put your life on the line, and suddenly, all animosities are forgotten…_

The hall quieted as Dumbledore drew himself up. "And finally, to Mister Harry Potter…for pure nerve and courage in knowing what he was up against, yet going in to face, it, anyway…I award Gryffindor house…sixty points."

This time, no other house could be heard over the cheers from the Gryffindors.

Draco had a smirk on his face as he had applauded all of his friends in turn, no matter if that gave him weird looks.

Winry, too, had enthusiastically clapped for her friends while calling them every synonym for "morons" all the while.

Dumbledore beamed. "Those of you good at math could probably tell the others…that a change in decoration is in order."

With a wave of his hands, the Hufflepuff banners vanished to be replaced with the red and gold banners of the lion house, who were still cheering.

To the credit of Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw (who had been in the lead for a while), they were sporting about it, and clapped along with the rest of the Great Hall. The Slytherin table offered the least amount of applause, but Draco wasn't the only one clapping this time, at least.

Dumbledore smiled at the students, and announced that the feast should get underway as a very smug Minverva McGonagall turned with a grin to one Severus Snape, whose eye was twitching.

"You might want to have Poppy look at that condition of yours," McGonagall informed the dour Potions Master.

Dumbledore cleared his throat to prevent Snape from saying something nasty in response, and took his own seat at the head of the table.

Harry, Hermione, and Edward caught the gazes of Draco and Winry, then all five of them laughed before helping themselves to the feast.

During the chatter in the hall, Edward had even more good news as the Hogwarts year came to a close.

"Hey, Harry…I think I figured out how to remove the _you know_. We'll talk about it at home, yea?" Edward grinned.

Harry stared at him, stunned, then his face split into a huge smile. "You bet!"

Bad guys were defeated, family was restored, and unforgettable friendships had been formed. It certainly had been one huge, eventful year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

**END YEAR ONE**


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